


Heroes of Alchemy

by aseies, Himaryan



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Absent Parents, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Character Death, Corruption, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Minor Annabeth Chase/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Mystery, POV Multiple, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-04-17 19:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 84,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4679021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aseies/pseuds/aseies, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himaryan/pseuds/Himaryan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo is a young man applying to become a State Alchemist. The further the military looks into this potential candidacy, the more mysterious he seems; the closer he gets to the higher-ups, the more suspicious Nico grows of the military. </p>
<p>The day he’s accepted into the military, he’s almost murdered. It isn't the first time Nico's needed to bounce back on his feet, and it won't be the last. Luckily, he has his friends there to help him.<br/>As time goes on, the more everything stinks of foul play, and it’s up to Nico to uncover the truth.</p>
<p>A <em>Fullmetal Alchemist</em> AU where Nico and Leo are childhood friends, Nico comes to love Hazel as a friend and a comrade, and together they explore corners of Alchemy that have never been visited before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I. Hazel

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be upfront with all of you: This is going to be an incompleted story. We have written over 86K words for this fic, and it’s still not done, and will not be completed in the traditional sense. This is a monster of a fic, and as such, we have decided to post what we have and summarize the rest because this story is a mystery and we want you to know the end. To start we’ll have several chapters of normal fic, and then transition into chapter summaries, interspersed with scenes we had written out of order. (I _promise_ the summaries will be interesting and entertaining. We’ve worked hard on them.)
> 
> That being said, no prior knowledge of _Fullmetal Alchemist_ is needed to enjoy this fic. Everything that needs to be explained, will be, and if you have any questions you can feel free to drop a comment!
> 
> We suggest referring to [this](http://orig14.deviantart.net/a411/f/2010/339/4/8/488637d6d1feac4e8ab27c926b4071e3-d349w65.jpg) map while you read.

_I was always envious of our teacher -- who could use alchemy with only a clap of her hands. It was like magic, and I wanted it._

_Now that I have it, I know I was never prepared to pay the price. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm still paying._

_Alchemy is the science of understanding matter, breaking it down, and rearranging its molecules into something new. Most people do this by drawing a transmutation circle to contain and control the reaction._

_Different circles affect matter in different ways, and there can be deadly consequences for transmuting something with the wrong type of circle. Though I haven't drawn a transmutation circle in years, I still have hundreds of circles memorized, and even more variations of the base circles. It's hard work being an alchemist. There are strict rules._

_The first one is legal-_

_-You cannot transmute gold._

_The second is moral-_

_-You cannot perform human transmutation._

_The third is eternal-_

_-You cannot gain something without losing something of equal worth._

_My name is Nico Di Angelo. I have broken two of those laws, and gravely underestimated the third. This story is a cautionary tale -- I hope you manage to learn something from my mistakes._

 

* * *

  
  
**I. HAZEL**

**Central - 1950 - State Alchemist Exam**

Hazel took a deep. _Calming_. Breath.

_Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_.

Hazel chewed the inside of her cheek and glanced at the boy tapping his foot. He muttered to himself, crossing and uncrossing his arms, and occasionally pulling at his unruly hair. Hazel sighed, and propped her chin in her hands. She couldn’t blame him for being nervous. The State Alchemist’s Exam only came once a year, and only admitted one or two people per exam.

And _this_  year… oh boy. Even though it was still fifteen minutes before the written  test started, the lobby was packed with potential State Alchemists. It looked like there were more than double the usual number of applicants. Hazel traced the embedded transmutation circle on her gauntlet through her sleeve for luck. She was going to need it.

_Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_.

Hazel rubbed her forehead. God, he was _pacing_  now. She really couldn’t afford to get a headache today. Years of training were _not_  about to go to waste by one boy who couldn’t keep still. She glared at the back of his head, but he didn’t seem to get her telepathic message to stand still. She’d have to forego the pleasantries. Hazel stood up, steeled her shoulders, and walked toward the boy with the annoyingly loud gait.

“Excuse me,” she said, and he came to a halt. “I know you’re nervous -- we all are -- but could you possibly do something… _else_  while we wait for the exam to start?”

He shifted his weight guiltily. “Sorry,” he said, crossing his lanky arms again. “I have trouble sitting still… especially when I’m anxious like this.” Sure enough, his fingers started tapping against his arm.

A pang of sympathy hit Hazel’s lower gut. She had felt the same way this morning, and went  on a run to calm her own nerves. She knew how important it was to burn off excess energy before entering a high-stress sitting environment. She probably shouldn’t be giving her competitors advice, but...

“Have you tried running up and down the front steps?”

His dark eyebrows knit together as he considered the idea. He glanced at the clock on the wall and shrugged a shoulder. “That sounds like a good idea,” he said with a smile. “Thank you.”

Hazel smiled back, but as soon as he turned his back to her, her expression slid back to a frown. Without the noise to distract her, Hazel suddenly felt the weight of the impending exam on her shoulders. She’d spent three years in military school to prepare for getting her State Alchemist’s certification and becoming a full-fledged member of the army. But what if it wasn’t enough? With this many people -- each studying for who knows how many years -- what if she was outshined? She was depending on getting the financial security of the job to continue living in Central. What would she do if she failed and couldn’t get new housing?

_No, no_. Hazel furiously shook her head. She had studied under a master alchemist, there was no way she _couldn’t_  get in. She was good enough to get in, she just needed to focus. Hazel squared her shoulders and turned to go back to her bench seat, but someone had already claimed it in her absence. Her shoulders deflated and she resigned herself to leaning her back against the pillar the boy had been standing in front of earlier and watching the crowd.

There was enough nervous energy in the air you could cut it with a knife. People were talking in low whispers, looking at each other with competitive glares. Some people had their noses in books, cramming until the last second as if this were some sort of high school history test.

She glanced at the clock. Still seven minutes to go. If there was one thing you could trust about Military-hosted events, it’s that they’ll start exactly on time, no sooner, no later. Hazel sighed, tempted to start pacing herself. Some of that boy’s nerves must have rubbed off--

_Boom!_

A cannon went off, shaking the walls and knocking over lamps. Hazel’s back slammed into the pillar, and she stumbled forward from shock. Her vision swam, but she thought she saw half of the applicants reaching into their coat pockets and pulling out weapons on the other half. People were screaming.

‘ _This was planned_ \--’ Hazel thought desperately as a smoke bomb went off, blinding everyone in the lobby. A hand covered her mouth from behind, and she felt a gun barrel against her head.

“Stay still if you know what’s good for you,” said a gruff man’s voice.

Hazel’s hand twitched toward her gauntlet, but she forced herself to be still. Her training said to never fight back if she found herself as a hostage -- it only made matters worse. They might fire by mistake and hit Hazel, themselves, or another hostage. It was too risky.

Several footsteps pounded through the center of the lobby, toward the inside of the building.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Alchemical sparks flashed through the smoke, and a large cement hand flew past Hazel. Judging by the cry of surprise that followed, it had grabbed one of the attackers.

A   _thump thump thump_  echoed as someone ran overtop the giant arm. The gun barrel left the side of her head, aiming instead for the noise. Hazel’s heart pounded in her ears, and the moment the young alchemist emerged from the smoke, Hazel made her decision.

In the same moment her right hand pushed the gun up toward the ceiling, her left elbowed her assailant. The gun fired harmlessly at the ceiling, and he backed away from her both in pain and surprise at the new wave of screaming. She took the chance to steal his gun and turn it on him. She kept her hands steady and her eyes fierce, and it seemed the attacker recognized her experience with the weapon.

“Get down,” she ordered. “Hands on the floor.”

He raised his hands and kneeled slowly, Hazel’s aim never leaving his chest. As he pressed his palms on the ground, Hazel knelt as well. Pressing her hand to the floor, it sprung to life with alchemical sparks, morphing around the man’s hands and pinning him to the ground.

“Did you do that without a circle?” the pacing boy asked, sliding down the side of the concrete arm to stand next to her. His hair was even messier now, standing up every whichway from running.

“No,” Hazel said, switching the safety of the gun back on before rolling up her sleeve to show off the transmutation circle on her golden gauntlet. “It’s specialized to earth-based alchemy.”

“Oh.” He looked relieved. “Thanks for saving me back there.”

“It’s no problem,” Hazel said, offering her hand. “I’m Hazel Levesque.”

“Nico di Angelo,” he nodded, shaking her hand. “I definitely didn’t catch all the attackers -- I saw at least fifteen of them head further inside. We can catch them if we hurry--”

“Wait a minute!” Hazel grabbed his arm before he could run ahead. “We’re in a military facility -- they have policies for things like this. If you run in trying to play hero, you could get in the way of them actually taking care of the situation. What are you going to do if you get caught in the crossfire? Or used as a hostage? We should wait here until we hear the all-clear.”

“What if they hurt someone, and we could have stopped it?” Nico pulled away from her. “And what about how you fought back just now?”

“To save _you_!” Hazel was already starting to regret it. “I’ve received military training and know how to handle the situation. You obviously haven’t.”

He huffed and squared his shoulders. “Maybe not, but I can still do some good. And that’s what I’m going to do!” He disappeared into the smoke, running further into the building.

“Wait!” she called after him, cursing her luck. Of _course_  he had an optimistic hero complex. He was going to get everyone killed.

Hazel ran after him.

He wasn’t hard to follow -- she just had to follow the path that looked most like a war zone. It seemed he didn’t care about collateral damage either. Perfect. Just what the military needed. Climbing the stairs to the next floor, she passed several gang members in various states of consciousness, most of them held by the wall or floor like Hazel’s attacker before them. Was he an earth-based alchemist too? Where were his circles? There were several bits of broken wall that looked like it had once held someone, but they had broken free somehow. The fight had carried out into the hallway of the second floor, where the walls were stretched and pulled into odd shapes in an attempt to capture an attacker, but each tip had broken into a pile of rubble. She could hear the clanking of metal around the corner, as well as the residual crackle from a transmutation. Not wanting to reveal herself too soon, Hazel pressed her back against the wall as best she could, gun at the ready, and peered around the edge.

Nico had been pulled into a sword fight with a woman in a leather jacket. She was in her 20s, large and muscular, with a square jaw and several white scars decorating her exposed skin. Her brown hair was held back by a red bandana covered in white bicycle wheels, each missing a spoke. Though she had two sheaths strapped to her back, the woman held a single sword in her left hand, aiming to land a killing blow. Nico blocked every blow with a matching sword -- had he stolen her other one? -- but he was getting pushed back quickly.

“Your sword fighting is almost as bad as Jackson’s!” she proclaimed before kicking Nico square in the chest with hiking boots.

He staggered back, gasping for air. The woman raised her sword.

Hazel popped around the corner, aiming her gun at the woman and turning off the safety. “Back away from him. Slowly.”

The woman raised her hands, but kept a hold of her sword, and took slow steps away from Nico. She shot him a smirk and said, “Didn’t know you had a friend with you.”

Hazel took a couple of cautious steps forward, keeping her aim fixed on the woman. “You’re a part of that rebel group, aren’t you?”

The woman snorted. “What was your first clue? The fact that we attacked a government building, or the bandana on my head?”

Hazel’s grip tightened around the pistol’s handle. So she had been right. She’d seen that symbol in the newspapers before -- it was used by a group led by a person called Nemesis. They always struck with killer precision to disrupt military activities. Were they trying to put a stop to the exam?

“Why are you doing this?” Hazel asked.

“Oh, I don’t think you want to hear my tragic backstory.” The woman pressed her right hand to the wall, and red sparks flew from her arm. The wall cracked in a line from her hand, and traveled to the ceiling above Hazel. The ceiling crumbled into debris, and Hazel hardly had time to cover her head with her arms.

She heard Nico call her name as she was knocked to the ground, and felt something hit her head. Her finger reflexively tightened around the trigger as her body hit the ground. The gun fired, hitting Nico’s left leg. He yelped, and Hazel’s heart pounded in her ears.

She had shot a civilian. She hadn’t even become a member of the military yet, and she’s already messed up.

“...zel…”

She felt sick to her stomach. What was this ringing in her ears? Her throat tightened and _the cries of animals in pain as transmutation sparks crackled in the corner of her eye. The light faded away, revealing a fleshy blob of a creature. Her master swore as the thing lunged for her, and quickly fired a round into it’s head. It splattered to the ground with a sickening_ squelch.

“Hazel!”

She blinked away the memory, and her vision stopped swimming long enough to see Nico over her -- noticeably not sobbing in pain.

Hazel frowned, visions of external internal organs still fresh on the underside of her eyelids. “You’re okay?”

“Yeah.” Nico nodded. He pulled up his pant’s leg and revealed an automail artificial limb.

Oh. Of course. That was why his steps were so loud and uneven. Hazel wasn’t sure why she hadn’t realized it before.

She sighed. _Get it together, Hazel_. She hadn’t messed up, but this was definitely a sign she had to be more careful.

“What about you?” he asked, brushing the rubble off of her.

"What?" Hazel asked, running her hand over her head. It seemed like she had a nasty bump forming, but was otherwise fine. Her eyes focused on the rebel's retreating back down the hallway, and her blood began to boil. How _dare_  the woman attack on the day of the State Alchemist’s exam. How _dare_  she put so many people in danger without reason. Hazel clenched her fists and forced herself upright, despite protests from Nico.

Hazel slammed her hands on the floor and pushed the reaction over to the rebel. A yellow alchemical pulse flashed along the floor, and a spiral of concrete and tile wrapped around the woman, pinning her in place. Hazel could hear her cursing, and smirked. Hazel grabbed two larger pieces of debris and transmuted them into spiked knuckles before running down the hall.

“Wait!” Nico called, running after her, but she didn’t listen to him. Blood was pounding in her ears, and she knew exactly who to blame.

The spiral cocoon around the woman sparked with red light before crumbling around her. She turned to Hazel, genuinely angry now. “You’re a lot more annoying than you look.”

“I’ll take that as a complement!” Hazel said, swinging her right fist at the rebel with all her might.

The woman dodged to the right and elbowed Hazel between the shoulder blades. Hazel fell to the floor and felt a boot stomp on her back, forcing out any air she had left in her lungs.

“You should have kept to long-range, girlie,” the woman said. “You’re shit at close combat.”

“Get away from her!” Nico called. A transmutation crackled and the boot left Hazel’s back. Several large spikes flew over Hazel’s head a split-second later, and embedded themselves into the wall.

“What’s all this commotion?” came a new voice. Hazel looked up.

A uniformed man came around the corner dragging two rebels behind him in one hand, and a sword in the other. Several medals of honor were pinned to his chest, and a scabbard strapped to his waist. His salt-and-pepper hair stood out against his tan skin, and his sharp green eyes fixed icily on the rebel.

The woman's nostrils flared, and she held her chin up proudly. "Neptune," she sneered, flexing the fingers on her right hand. "It's been a while. A good fourteen years? Looks like you've been doing well. Major General now, huh?"

Major General Neptune dropped the rebels. “Have we met before?”

“Not formally,” she smirked.

She dashed forward, her hand poised. Swords clashed as she blocked his counter. She tried to land a blow with her hand, but Mjr. Gen. Neptune retreated backwards. She stumbled forward as she lost her balance, and a blow from the sword’s hilt made sure she hit the ground. she snarled up at him.

“I _will_  kill you for all you’ve done.”

Mjr. Gen. Neptune smiled as he held his sword to her neck. “You should be more careful before threatening high-ranking officials.”

Cannon fire echoed, shaking the building’s walls. The woman grabbed Mjr. Gen. Neptune’s sword, and it shattered in a shower of red sparks. Her hand was bleeding badly, but she was able to scramble over to her comrades. She destroyed the ground beneath their feet, and the three of them fell to the level below.

Nico stepped forward to pursue her but Mjr. Gen. Neptune held up his hand. “It’s being taken care of.” He gave both of them a kind smile, wrinkles creasing around his eyes and mouth. He offered a hand to help Hazel to her feet. “May I ask who you two are?”

Hazel’s heels clicked together, and she brought her hand up in a salute. “Hazel Levesque, sir! Graduate of the Central Military Academy, and applicant for the State Alchemist’s exam. This is fellow applicant Nico di Angelo.”

Nico bowed his head respectfully, “Sir.”

Mjr. Gen. Neptune nodded. “I thank you both for helping us deal with those rebels.”

“Speaking of--” Nico turned to Hazel. “Wasn’t there something strange about that girl’s alchemy?”

“Now that you mention it… yeah, there was,” Hazel said, replaying the fight in her head. “It looked like she had a concealed circle on her arm, but even taking that into account, the reactions were too fast.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” Nico picked up a piece of broken concrete Hazel used to trap the rebel earlier, and put it in her hand. “You studied earth-based alchemy, right? What does it look like to you?”

She turned the rock over in her hands, running her fingers over the alchemically-squared surface texture. “It’s almost like she was stopping the transmutation before it could finish…”

“Very good.” Mjr. Gen. Neptune nodded. “What we saw was her interrupting her own transmutation, and decomposing the subject matter instead of transforming them.

Hazel stared at the rock in her hands like it had grown legs and started to dance around. “I didn’t know that was possible…”

Mjr. Gen. Neptune laughed. “My dear, there are many impossible things in this world. That was just one of them.” He surveyed their surroundings. “They certainly did a number on this place… I’m not sure how long we’ll have to postpone the test for reconstruction--”

“Oh, you can leave that to us, sir,” Nico said with a smile. Hazel arched an eyebrow at him as he turned to her. “Hazel, you fix the floor, and I’ll do the ceiling and the walls.”

Hazel blinked, chancing a glance at Mjr. Gen. Neptune, who was eying her with interest. Oh. _Oh_. Nico was smart. This was their chance to show their skills in front of the instructor before the practical.

She rolled up her sleeves to show off her gauntlets, and punched the ground with her spiked knuckles. The title melted off of her hands, and merged with the floor again. The debris returned to where they belonged, filling the cracks and damage as if it were new.

Nico smiled at her, and nodded his head encouragingly. Without saying anything, he clapped his hands and placed one on the wall. The remaining debris from the wall and ceiling were absorbed into the floor, only to reappear in the holes in which they came from. He was doing some pretty serious alchemy without breaking a sweat. And where was his circle?

Mjr. Gen. Neptune raised his eyebrows. “Both of you are very impressive alchemists.”

“Thank you, sir,” they said in unison before raising an eyebrow at each other.

“I’ll be watching your progress through the exams with interest.” Mjr. Gen. Neptune smiled. “But I don’t think that day is going to be today. Go home and get some rest. You two deserve it.”

“Yes, sir,” Hazel said with a salute as Nico bowed his head and said, “Thank you, sir.”

Mjr. Gen. Neptune walked down the hallway he came from, very purposefully walking over the hole in the floor Hazel had repaired.

“Let’s go,” Nico nodded the way they came.

Hazel walked beside him, watching him out of the corner of her eye. “...Thank you.”

“What for?” Nico asked.

“You could have fixed the floor too if you wanted, right?”

Nico shifted, the thumping of his automail leg echoing off of the close walls. “Yeah.”

“Are you an earth alchemist too?” Hazel asked.

Nico shook his head. “I’m a little bit of everything.”

“So you really did perform that transmutation without a circle?”

A shadow fell over Nico’s eyes. “Yeah, I did.”

“How?”

Nico chuckled. “ ‘ _There are many impossible things in this world_.’ “

He didn’t elaborate further. They repaired the halls as they retraced their steps, and released the captured rebels to the proper authorities. Some of them escaped. Hazel made sure to repair the damage she caused in the lobby. She stretched her arms over her head, exhaustion finally starting to set in after so much adrenaline. She was looking forward to a hot shower.

“Hazel?” Nico caught up to her on the entrance steps. “Can I ask a favor?”

“What do you need?” Hazel brought her arms down.

“If we both make it to the practical, will you spar with me?” When Hazel didn’t respond right away, he added quickly, “I work better when I’m thinking on my feet, and you seem really strong. I’d like to see how I do against you.”

Hazel thought about it for a moment before nodding and said, “It sounds good. To be honest, I think better on my feet too. But I’ve got to warn you -- we’re going to be in my home field during the test. I’m not going to go easy on you.”

Nico grinned. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The two of them shook hands and parted ways. Hazel hadn’t expected to make a friend amongst so much competition and confusion, but it seems she had. It was going to make quite an interesting story for her teacher.

 


	2. II. Annabeth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a a quick heads-up: this fic is going to be following a loose Monday/Friday update schedule!

Annabeth wasn't sure what to expect on the rescheduled state alchemist exam day. When transcripts and profiling of this year's state alchemist applicants fell on Annabeth's shoulders, she had expected it to be a dull job. Sure, alchemy could be fun to watch, but only the masters. Annabeth hadn't expected much.

Then the state alchemist exam had been attacked.

Central City had typically been well protected from large scale attacks, so it caught everyone off guard. Annabeth had been chatting up his excellency the Führer when the first cannon fired. She had stuck with him throughout the ordeal, but it didn’t matter since they didn’t encounter any trouble.

She would have thought a terrorist group would try to assassinate the leader of Amestris. Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows at the memory. She wasn’t working on that case, but it still bothered her.

Annabeth sighed and tried to bring her focus back to the present. The state alchemist exam. Right.

The exam was divided into three main sections, with an additional follow-up interview at the end. The first hurdle these applicants had to jump was the written portion. Annabeth wasn’t looking forward to that. She was a glorified baby-sitter for this part of the exam since there was no talking to record and to devote her attention to. This was going to be a long day.

Annabeth walked to the front of the room. The Führer, his excellency, was surveying the room. Annabeth knew better than to get caught up in his appearance, but she couldn’t help but note how his face was carved by the marks of old age. His calloused bronze hands gripped a sheathed sword like a walking cane as he eyed people entering the room. Despite his small stature, he had the regal air that was expected of the Führer.

“Good morning, your excellency,” Annabeth saluted him in greeting. He nodded in recognition.

“Ah, Lieutenant Chase,” The Führer turned his sharp eyes on Annabeth. “Good morning to you. I hope you have been faring well since we were last acquainted.”

“Yes, I have. Thank you, sir.”

“The exam will be starting soon,” the Führer nodded towards the clock. “Make yourself comfortable, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir,” Annabeth saluted him again before she eyed the chairs along the front of the room. Annabeth liked having space when sitting instead of being crammed like packaged meat, but there was an open spot next to Major General Neptune. He was top tier of importance in the military, and Annabeth wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip past her.

“Good morning, Major General Neptune,” Annabeth saluted him. He smiled, and informally returned her salute sitting despite her epaulette signifying her lower rank. She guessed he was in a good mood today.

“Ah, good morning. Forgive me, but I can’t seem to recall your name...?”

“I am First Lieutenant Annabeth Chase; Investigations Department, Central branch,” Annabeth sat down next to him. Major General Neptune smelled distinctly like saltwater that reminded her of a hot summer’s day. His green eyes crinkled as he smiled at Annabeth.

“Ah, so they sent you to do record keeping? Have you done it before?”

“I’ve done transcripts for other events, but never the state alchemist exam.”

“Then you’re in for a treat,” Major General Neptune’s eyes twinkled under the fluorescent light. “The written test and panel interview are pretty dull, but I’d wager you’ll see some amazing things when it gets time for the practical. I saw a few of them use alchemy already.”

“Really?”

“You’ll see when the time comes.”

“I’ll be on the look out, then,” Annabeth tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice at having been teased with information. Her instinct was to prod him until he dropped the details, but she heard too often his mood was more unpredictable than the weather.

Major General Neptune’s words did make her pause, though. Her superior, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang, usually took up the transcripts of the state alchemist exam. He always came back with no interesting news on the state alchemist front, and he knew more about alchemy than she did despite not practicing it himself. Maybe this year was going to be interesting, and the attack was just the beginning.

By the time the written portion of the exam got rolling, Annabeth wished she could fast forward through the entire ordeal. Watching a large room of nervous wannabe state alchemists wasn’t Annabeth’s idea of fun. The best she could have said about the situation is that they allowed her to move around to make sure no one was cheating. Annabeth was glad she wasn’t required to stay still like the applicants were.

A week after the written part came time for the day of the panel interview and practical portions of the exam. The interview was first, and took place inside. The Führer, his excellency, sat in the center under harsh light. His senior staff surrounded him like a blanket.

Annabeth was off to the side with her own desk to take down information. It gave her a great vantage point to be able to see both the panel of judges and the applicant.

For the most part, Annabeth didn’t feel engrossed in the work. She recorded everything, but felt her mind drift out of boredom. This lasted until a skinny kid walked in. Annabeth knew he was here for the state alchemist exam, but he didn’t look like an alchemist at all. He looked like he needed a good nap and some food. There was also something about his appearance that bugged her. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place him.

“Nico di Angelo,” his excellency, the Führer, called out. The kid nodded and sat down. His head moved around as he tried to get a good bearing of the room. It could’ve been nerves as well if the way his hands fiddled in his lap was anything to go by.

“Yes, sir.”

“How have you found the written portion?”

“Challenging. Taking tests in school was hard enough, but this was a whole ‘nother level.”

Annabeth tried to hold in a smirk. That was probably the most honest answer she had heard all day.

“According to your records, this is your third attempt,” continued the Führer. “That’s quite the commitment to continue with the test three times despite never getting past the first portion.”

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at that. So, this kid had been gunning to be a state alchemist for at least three years? He was already young looking. A quick glance at the panel showed the others interested as well. Most notably, Major General Neptune was visibly surprised.

“Thank you, sir. I’ve always been told I’m a bit stubborn when I want something.”

“That stubborn quality can come in handy,” said the Führer. “But, your efforts have paid off. You scored quite well on the written portion this time around.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“So, Nico di Angelo, how did you prepare for the exam? Change anything from your previous attempts?”

“Ah, well,” Nico tried to flatten some of his wavy hair. Annabeth was having trouble connecting this kid as an alchemist good enough to pass the written portion. He acted too much like a shy teenager.

_He_  is _a shy teenager_ , she corrected herself.

“I studied a lot,” Nico paused long enough that Annabeth wondered if he was going to leave it there. “I have a lot of free time, and don’t have many obligations, so I was able to completely throw myself into studying. It took a lot of sleepless nights, but it paid off.”

“And practical application?”

“I wasn’t worried about that part. I was mainly worried about the test portion.”

“So, you’re confident in your skills?” The Führer leaned forward. His intertwined hands propped his head up. His cool colored eyes blazed hotter than they should. Nico paused.

“Yes, sir.”

“What kind of alchemy do you specialize in?”

“I’m a jack of all trades.”

“And a master of none?”

“I can definitely improve,” he admitted. “But I wouldn’t say I’m far below a mastery.”

Annabeth smirked. She had recorded quite a lot of boastful words today. She hoped this kid would be able to back up his words when it came time for the practical.

“That’s good to hear. We only accept the best of the best into the state alchemist program. Usually the best have a good motive, as well. Why do you want to become a state alchemist?”

“I want to help people.”

This time, Nico didn’t elaborate. He let his words saturate the air and be digested. Annabeth took the time to observe the panel since her eyes weren’t focused on transcribing.

Despite the lackluster answer, his excellency the Führer looked interested. That fared well for the kid since he had the most pull in deciding which candidates would make it.

To the Führer’s left was Major General Neptune. He was the most expressive from what she glanced at throughout the ordeal. Annabeth figured he’d give Nico a pass for this section. However, he began slipping into a pensive expression the longer he sat there staring at the kid.

To the Führer’s right was General Jupiter. His face was stone the entire time. Annabeth heard he was a hard guy to read, but she was hoping he’d be a little more open off the battlefield. She couldn’t tell if the General liked the kid or not.

To Major General Neptune’s left was Major General Pluto. He was more interested in scribbling notes than actually looking at the kid. He must’ve been completely unimpressed to not even pay attention.

There were more officers around the room, but those main four were the panel Nico had to impress. If Annabeth had to guess, she’d say he had a fifty/fifty shot of making it if this were the end.

“If I may interject,” started Major General Neptune. His excellency nodded. “Having seen your alchemy skills already, I’m curious about where you gained your practical skills. You said you weren’t worried about it for the exam, but how’d you get to that point?”

Annabeth felt a surge of curiosity. She remembered talking with Major General Neptune during the written portion about seeing some really good alchemists. Was this kid really good enough to make a Major General excited?

“I was always interested in alchemy. Trying to pick out when I started my interest is like asking me to tell you the story of how I learned to walk. And I had...,” Nico faltered here. His eyebrows knitted together in concentration. “My family helped encourage me. My sister... Well, she was really good. Better than me. It made me want to be better, so you could say it was a pretty good motivator. I kept practicing and studying, and now here I am.”

“She doesn’t want to be a state alchemist along with you?”

“She’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Nico nodded slowly like a machine. Annabeth felt a pang of sympathy beat in her chest. It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers, wannabes or actual, to have dead relatives, but that didn’t mean she stopped feeling sympathy when it happened. Thankfully, the panel looked fairly sympathetic. Even Major General Pluto had started to pay attention.

“Back to the original exam day, I saw you work with another applicant,” started Major General Neptune. Nico looked relieved for the change in topic. “Hazel Levesque. You two did quite well in dispatching the attackers in your area before I showed up. How long have you known Miss Levesque?”

“I only met her a few minutes before the attack.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She, uh... She was bothered by my pacing. I pace when I’m nervous. So, I went outside and then everything was shaking and the building was getting attacked.”

“Interesting. I would’ve thought you already knew each other by how well you worked together.”

“Really?” Nico’s mouth tilted in an attempt of a smirk. Annabeth thought it looked creepy. “She spent most of the attack yelling at me. I mean, in between doing some really good alchemy. I promised to fight her at the practical, actually. I hope she made it because I’m really looking forward to it.”

There were some raised eyebrows at that. Annabeth guessed state alchemists didn’t usually brawl at the exam. Then again, considering state alchemists are supposed to be human weapons, Annabeth wondered why they didn’t pit all the applicants in fights for the final segment. That would be something Annabeth would want to watch.

“In that case, I am as well,” interjected General Jupiter. He spoke so rarely today that it surprised Annabeth. His deep tone was the type that could be heard over a rowdy field army of soldiers. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good fight between applicants. If you’re as good as Major General Neptune says, we should be in for a treat.”

“I agree,” the Führer, his excellency, smiled. The wrinkles on his face bunched together like spider legs. “But, before we get ahead of ourselves, I’d like us to finish this portion.”

Annabeth thought the conversation dulled down after that. Nico answered basic questions about himself. The kid really was a kid; he just turned fifteen years old. Apparently, he lived in Yuflam in the Southern region all his life until three years ago where he moved to Central City to live with a friend. That’s when he started taking the state alchemist exam. Annabeth was surprised they let a twelve year old attempt the exam even if he never passed the first portion until now, but otherwise it was pretty snooze worthy. Annabeth was ready for the next applicant at this point.

“It says here you were recommended to take the state alchemist exam by one of our own esteemed alchemists.”

“Yes, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Jason Grace from Southern Command recommended me to take the exam.”

Annabeth almost snapped her writing utensil in half.

Well, that answered her question about why they’d let a twelve year old attempt the exam. Getting a recommendation from a state alchemist tended to be respected.

It was the how of it that boggled Annabeth’s brain. She knew Jason Grace. Annabeth wasn’t going to hold hands with him and run into the sunset crying out “best friends forever,” but she could hold a casual conversation with the guy if she wanted. The idea of him recommending a twelve year old (possibly even younger than that) to join the military made Annabeth’s brain blank out. Then again, she knew Jason had been put through the academy at a young age. Maybe he thought it was completely normal for twelve year olds to be human weapons for the military to use in frequently occurring wars.

“Interesting,” said General Jupiter. The General continued to look impassive. However, an off switch had flipped Major General Neptune’s genial features into stone. “Why did he recommend you, Nico di Angelo? And how did you meet him?”

“I can’t speak for him,” Nico admitted.  “We didn’t know each other long, but I guess I made an impression. I do know that he was doing work in my hometown due to the war.”

“Hopefully you’ll make another good impression on us if you continue to work hard today,” said the Führer. His excellency’s eyes were blazing with challenge as he stared Nico down, but the tilt to his lips made him friendly instead of downright intimidating.

The kid didn’t back down; he nodded and answered, “Yes, sir.”

Nico di Angelo was given instructions about what to do next, and was excused.

Annabeth shook her hand. Her wrist was going to be aching tomorrow. Thankfully, when the panel convened in between interviews to discuss the applicants, Annabeth didn’t have to transcribe anything. She did, however, get to give the panel her undivided attention. It was fun for her to hear the most important soldiers of the Amestrian military discuss topics even if it was on a boring applicant. The discussions gave Annabeth a taste of how higher command operated.

“So, what do you think, generals?” his excellency shuffled papers around before giving each side a glance. None of the other generals looked ready to share their thoughts, but It was Major General Neptune who spoke first.

“When alchemists pass through here with multiple fails, they’re barely scraping at the minimum score, but Nico di Angelo did fairly well this time around on the written portion. Plus, I’ve seen him do alchemy. He was quite good.”

“Is that a pass?”

Major General Neptune was quiet for a moment. Annabeth felt a shiver go down her spine.

“There’s more than just being able to transmute efficiently and test taking skills to being a state alchemist,” interjected Major General Pluto. “The interview portion is to assess their mentality. We can talk skills after the practical.”

Major General Neptune’s jaw clenched.

“Very true,” said his excellency. “We should keep focus.”

“This isn’t his first try. Multiple attempts shows determination,” said General Jupiter.

“It could just as easily show an obstinate nature. Alchemists of that variety are very hard to put on a leash,” pointed out Major General Pluto.

“No,” General Jupiter argued. “Not in this case. He’s young, so he can easily be trained if needed.”

“How young is too young, then?”

“There is no age minimum on being fit for service.”

“Age is certainly a factor, but there’s precedent for state alchemists this young,” interjected the Führer. The tilt to his lips suggested he was enjoying the festering debate. Annabeth couldn’t help but agree. She loved watching people try to outwit each other.

“You seem awfully intent on giving him a fail,” said Major General Neptune. He was glaring at Major General Pluto. Annabeth quirked an eyebrow at the animosity in his tone.

“I am just being critical.”

“Right,” sighed Major General Neptune. “Nico di Angelo showed drive and determination while also appearing level headed in front of three generals of the Amestrian military and the Führer himself. I’m giving him a pass.”

“I think we need less obstinate state alchemists in the roster,” said Major General Pluto. “I’m failing him on that, and on the account that I do think that fifteen is too young for a state alchemist to make decisive judgements-- even with precedent.”

“He gets a pass from me,” said General Jupiter. He didn’t elaborate like the others, but his tone still crackled with electricity.

“Well, now,” his excellency the Führer scribbled in front of him. “I guess it’s time to bring in the next applicant.”

There weren’t many applicants to dredge through after that. Annabeth’s leg bounced with restless energy as they finished up. None of the other applicants brought a heated discussion like Nico di Angelo had.

Although, Annabeth had been interested when Major General Neptune questioned Hazel Levesque about how long she had known Nico. Annabeth guessed the Major General must not have trusted Nico di Angelo’s answer despite his affable facade during the first half of the interview. The details matched what Nico said, so Major General Neptune looked satisfied.

When they wrapped the interviews, the proctors of the interview portion piled into official cars to go to the practical’s site.

When Annabeth exited the car, she realized the grounds were specially prepared for alchemists of all varieties. Many resources like trees, ponds, and different ground and stone minerals littered the grounds in a large crescent shape.

Annabeth knew that alchemy wasn’t just magic. Alchemists took materials and transformed them into something else, but their final product was the sum of their parts and retained their elemental components. Basically, alchemy was super flashy cooking that Amestris decided to militarize.

Seeing all of the different materials the state provided, Annabeth hoped to see a variety of alchemists today.

The applicants clustered around military personnel who were already stationed there waiting for everyone to arrive. They seemed to be giving the applicants instructions.

Annabeth stuck close to his excellency, the Führer.

“Sunny day, isn’t it, Lieutenant?”

“Yes, sir,” Annabeth followed him to the central worktable where she would be seated. None of the Führer’s generals or his excellency sat down. They took firm stances as they surveyed the crowd of applicants. Thankfully, they were close enough that Annabeth could hear their conversations, and gauge their reactions as she worked.

Annabeth watched as the alchemists were herded to the side. Individual applicants came up to show the panel their skills. The gist of this portion was that the applicants would reintroduce themselves to the panel, tell the proctors what they were going to show, and then do it.

After the first person went, and then more after that, Annabeth realized why the applicant had to announce their intentions before they showed off their skills. It showed whether the alchemist could do what they set out to do. A few times, the generals asked for a repeat showing. Most of the time, however, the generals critiqued the alchemist.

The discussions that went down made Annabeth realize just how little she knew about alchemy. She thought she had the basics down, but there were concepts and terms that the generals were throwing out at the applicants that Annabeth had no clue what they meant. She huffed. Annabeth had never been interested in alchemy, but sitting here not being able to quite grasp what was being said made Annabeth want to crack open an alchemy book.

Nico di Angelo and Hazel Levesque stood at the front of the crowd now. Hazel had her beautiful kinky cinnamon hair tied back away from her face. It was easier to see her animated features light up as she scanned the expanse of the practical’s staging and resources. Nico’s face was mostly hiding behind tufts of wavy hair, but she could see him smiling as well. Annabeth still thought he looked a little creepy like that, but there was an energy crackling to him that he didn’t have during the interview portion.

Annabeth hoped this would be a good show.

They strode forward, and took turns reintroducing themselves. Nico re-explained to the generals and the Führer that he wished to fight against Hazel Levesque for this section. The applicants murmured amongst themselves, but all the military personnel seemed happy with this development. Maybe they thought seeing two newbies kicking the snot out of each other would be more entertaining than watching another guy making an obelisk.

“I’ll allow it,” said his excellency. There was an easy smile plastered to the Führer’s ancient features as Hazel and Nico distanced themselves.

Annabeth expected them to draw transmutation circles on the ground to prepare. After all, it was impossible to do alchemy without a circle. Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows together. If they were waiting until their fight actually started, then would this turn into a game of who could draw faster?

Then again, Annabeth reasoned that in a real fight, the enemy wouldn’t give them time to draw before engaging them in battle.

That was when Hazel casually rolled her sleeves up. She kept eye contact with Nico as she revealed-- was that _gold_  on her hands?

“You’ve already seen some of what I can do at the interrupted state alchemist exam,” Hazel stopped rolling her sleeves to take a fighting stance. She was wearing golden gauntlets. They gleamed under the glare of the early afternoon sun. There was a transmutation circle etched on both gauntlets. “But I still have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

“That’s good!” Nico called out. Annabeth was surprised to see him smiling. It wasn’t a creepy smirk like earlier; he was excited. “I like surprises.”

“You may begin,” his excellency’s voice boomed like a starting gun.

Hazel dropped down and slammed both hands against the ground. Yellow sparks flew and illuminated Hazel in a golden light so bright that Annabeth had trouble staring at it. The ground rippled like it was unstable, but Hazel lifted a palm up to show the ground spitting up a sword. It looked longer than what a person Hazel’s size should wield.

“Those transmutation circles, they’re...” started his excellency with a tilted head.

“Earth based,” answered General Jupiter. Annabeth didn’t understand how that was different from regular alchemy, but from the quirked eyebrows of the generals, it probably was. “I haven’t seen circle designs quite like those in many years.”

Annabeth heard a gasp among the generals, and it distracted her concentration. That was when Nico di Angelo crashed forward with his own sword. _Where did that come from?_  Annabeth wondered. She had been so entranced by Hazel’s transmutation that she didn’t see Nico perform his alchemy. He was moving too fast for Annabeth to see if he had gauntlets  like Hazel or some other accessory. There were no new transmutation circles drawn on the ground since they started.

The blades clashed. Nico used the momentum of his charge forward to try to push Hazel back, and he maneuvered his sword and thrust it forward. Hazel jumped back. She almost got stabbed in the shoulder.

Annabeth leaned forward as she saw Hazel retreat a reasonable distance away. For an alchemy battle, this was looking more like they were showing off their hand-to-hand skills.

“Good start,” Hazel called out. She held her sword arm out before slapping the grip. Golden sparks shot out again as the sword swallowed Hazel’s hand and travelled up her body.

Annabeth watched in horror. The material looked like it had a mind of its own, but it was just following Hazel’s commands. When the sparks died down, Hazel had armor covering her upper torso and sword arm’s shoulder made from her sword. The sword itself was a dagger now.

Hazel moved freely despite the new weight.

Annabeth felt a swell of approval. Hazel had almost taken damage, and realized this. She covered up where Nico tried to strike her, and overall increased her defenses.

Tactics. It had been a long time since Annabeth saw combat that wasn’t blind. It’s said that most soldiers fight blindly in war; the exceptions are snipers and state alchemists.

Annabeth took back her words; this was definitely an alchemy battle. She just hoped that Nico could keep up with her.

“I’m not going to let you get that lucky again,” she called out.

“It wasn’t luck,” Nico poised his sword again. He charged forward. Instead of meeting Nico’s sword with her dagger, Hazel _threw_  it. Annabeth’s eyes widened as she watched Nico dodge. With his attention diverted, Hazel darted to the side, gained distance, and laid a golden hand against the ground.

Hazel transmuted a spike that shot out from the ground like a cannon. Annabeth gasped. There was no way the kid could dodge and recover quick enough to fight off a second attack from Hazel with something that fast hurtling towards him.

Nico didn’t.

He clapped his hands, and threw them to the ground. Sparks flew and a replica of what Hazel had thrown at him hurled forwards to smash and negate Hazel’s attack.

Annabeth’s mouth hung open. She could see Nico’s wrists and hands clear as day. There was no circle there; no gauntlets, no anything. There wasn’t a transmutation circle on the ground, either. And, yet, his alchemy was successful. Rubble in between the two applicants was proof of that.

“He really is doing alchemy without a circle,” his excellency confirmed to the murmurs of his generals.

Hazel didn’t pause. She immediately slammed her hands against the ground again. Yellow sparks flew, and a block of Earth slammed Nico down. His sword went flying. Annabeth thought Hazel would be too far away to be able to transmute across their distance. From the look of surprise on Nico’s face, he thought the same.

Hazel charged toward him while he tried to recover. She grabbed a fallen block from the spike collision and transmuted it into a dagger as she advanced on Nico like a golden streak of lightning.

Nico bounded up from a crouch in time to deflect a stab. Without a weapon, this was over.

_No_ , Annabeth corrected. _A novice with a sword can be beaten by an expert with a rock. This isn’t over yet._

Plus, neither of them looked like they wanted it to be over. Hazel’s golden transmutations had nothing on the gold of her eyes sparkling as she engaged Nico in combat. And Nico... He looked nothing like the nervous kid she had seen in the interview. He was confident and smiling despite staring down a dagger.

Nico swiped Hazel with a kick. Annabeth didn’t think it was enough considering how skinny Nico was, but Hazel winced in pain as she was jerked off balance. Nico was given enough time to step back, clap, and transmute a fist intended to knock Hazel over. Hazel barely dodged.

This time, it really was over.

Hazel lunged forward before Nico could transmute again. She barreled into him like a wrecking ball, and Nico’s back slammed into the ground. She locked him as well as she could on the ground, and held her dagger to his throat.

Annabeth felt like the world had froze at the moment. The chill of the end swept over her spine. Hazel Levesque had won the spar.

“That’s enough,” his excellency’s voice boomed.

Hazel got off Nico. To Annabeth’s surprise, they were both grinning. Despite the apparent loss, Nico looked like he had won from how big his smile was as he stared at Hazel. His dark wavy hair was swept out of his eyes from sweat, and for once, Annabeth had a clear view of his face.

It hit her at that moment how much he looked like a miniature version of Major General Pluto. She didn’t understand where the thought came from, but as Hazel offered a hand and helped Nico up, she couldn’t stop seeing the similarities.

“What a good show,” his excellency the Führer regarded his generals. “What do you think, men?”

“It was an excellent match-up,” commented General Jupiter. For a usually quiet man, he seemed eager to speak this time around and kick off the discussion. “It’s obvious both of you have honed your skills in alchemy. Miss Levesque, your Earth alchemy... I’ve seen many circles in my time. The way yours are designed, well, we haven’t seen all of what you can do, have we?”

Hazel straightened up at being addressed. “No, sir. I still have more to offer if you wish for another demonstration.”

Annabeth smirked. Hazel was either a powerhouse of stamina or willing to perform until she dropped to ensure that she did the best she could in front of the panel.

“That’s alright,” General Jupiter nodded. “That was enough of a show, wasn’t it?” He addressed the other men. General Jupiter’s eyes gazed over each of them, but his eyes lingered on Major General Pluto.

“Yes... And, Mister di Angelo. You didn’t even use a circle.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Quite extraordinary,” commented his excellency. “To have such a skill, and be able to transmute during battle. Both of you showed competency,” he added and made sure to lock eyes with both Hazel and Nico before turning to Major General Neptune. “You had a little taste of this at the interrupted state alchemist exam, didn’t you?”

“Yes, sir. I didn’t get to see them fight, but I saw them perform the alchemy itself,” Major General looked like he had eaten something sour. Annabeth couldn’t understand why. He had been so excited about seeing them fight early on in the exam. Annabeth thought they lived up to expectations.

She wondered if it had something to do with Nico. Major General Neptune’s kept his intense gaze on the boy as everyone spoke. Plus, ever since half way through the interviews earlier that day, his genial features had smoothed over. The longer he kept the facade, the more Annabeth thought Major General Neptune looked like a storm ready to happen.

Nico’s features still held the manic glint he had gained from fighting, but he was slowly sobering up. Hazel stole glances back and forth at Nico and the panel.

The other two didn’t look any happier now that Annabeth could concentrate on reading them. General Jupiter’s talking should have been a red flag. Major General Pluto, well, he looked as sour faced as Major General Neptune, but his attention was instead on the other generals and the Führer instead of the applicants.

“Good work, you two,” said his excellency. The Führer stepped forward to give them closing remarks. Annabeth would’ve paid attention, but the hushed whispers at her side distracted her.

“Why didn’t you feel the need to mention one of the applicants could do clapping alchemy?” intoned General Jupiter. He was still standing at attention, but his head tilted enough to glare at Major General Neptune. Woah.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. If they knew what kind of alchemy Nico was doing, why didn’t they mention that earlier? They acted like they had never seen it before.

“I thought it would be fun to see play out,” replied Major General Neptune. “You never mentioned he was recommended by your _son_.” Major General Neptune might as well have spat by the way he said son.

General Jupiter’s jaw clenched. Annabeth wondered if she’d get to witness two alchemy battles in one day.

She didn’t expect General Jupiter to ignore whatever Major General Neptune was implying to turn his glare on the other, completely silent, Major General.

“Maybe it’ll be better in the long run if I just outright ask you--“

“May the next applicant step forward and present in front of the panel,” announced his excellency the Führer as he took his spot amongst his generals again. General Jupiter didn’t finish his sentence. They acted like nothing had just went down, and gave their attention to the next applicant.

Annabeth couldn’t concentrate as her brain echoed the conversation she just overheard. She tried to figure out what General Jupiter was going to say, but context clues weren’t helping her here. Besides, the animosity that had sprung forth was also poking Annabeth’s brain. There were rumors that the Führer’s most trusted generals didn’t actually get along, but she didn’t believe it until now.

_Concentrate_ , Annabeth took a deep breath. _You can think about it later. Do your job now_.

She shelved it, deep in the library of her brain, and paid attention to the state alchemist exam.


	3. III. Annabeth

Annabeth was sure she was going to keel over and die if Reyna didn’t call her soon. This wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling when Annabeth waited for Reyna to call her, but this time there was actual military business to be had.

A grace period of a week marked the end of the state alchemist exam’s main events and the final follow up interview before the final announcements. However, Annabeth still had work to do.

Annabeth was in charge of the background checks on a list of applicants who were being considered for the title. Plus, she was the one who conducted the follow up interview. It was a lot, but Annabeth’s handled loads more in the past. This was simple.

At least, it was supposed to be.

Nico di Angelo’s file was giving her trouble.

He didn’t have much of a paper trail. Annabeth wasn’t surprised; Nico’s fifteen. There’s not many taxes or bills fifteen year olds pay. Despite his young age, he didn’t have a lot of adult supervision as far as Annabeth could see. Nico had a grand total of two emergency contact numbers; one is a Central City residential number, and the other is the number for a clinic in Yuflam. Annabeth guessed the first one was where he was living now.

Nico had to show a copy of his birth certificate and other identity documents upon registering for the exam, so those weren’t a problem. She did, however, still have to get access to his medical records. She should be able to get her hands on that tomorrow.

Annabeth’s eyes darted to the phone every few minutes as she worked through another applicant’s file. She asked Reyna to do some digging for her as a favor since Nico’s information was more likely to be stored at Southern Command. The Central region and Central Command was the hub of information, but small time stuff like some kid from the boondocks would be stored in his hometown’s region. That would be Southern Command which was where Reyna was stationed at the moment. Unfortunately.

She wished Reyna was in Central City. Not only was being in Central City considered to be the best position to climb up the political ladder, it would also make seeing each other easier.

Annabeth slumped forward. Now wasn’t the time to be distracted by her personal life. Applicant files. _Right_.

Annabeth tapped her pencil against the desk as she finished checking another potential candidate off the list. There was no one around to begrudge her habit, so she let herself _tap tap tap_  her way through her thoughts.

The phone rang. Annabeth picked it up during the first ring.

“This is the Investigations Department, Lt. Chase speaking. How may I help you?”

“It’s Reyna.”

Annabeth’s shoulders relaxed. “Hey. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Yours as well,” Reyna responded fondly. “I’m here to give you the results of your newest pet project.”

Annabeth straightened her shoulders and got ready to write. “Hey, I'm actually on the clock for this one. Now, what d'you have for me?”

“First of all, the di Angelo residence no longer exists. It was destroyed three years ago in a fire. The cause is unknown, but arson is suspected. It’s one of only two house fires in Yuflam in the last 20 years.”

“What about his family?” Annabeth asked.

“Dead or missing. His mother, Maria, died in the spring of 1943. His sister, Bianca, was reported dead in ’45, though a body was never presented. The boy’s father also hasn’t been seen for twelve years.”

Annabeth remembered the detail about the sister. It was hard to forget Nico’s pained face when the interview touched upon that topic. Still, dead mother. Missing father. Annabeth did the math in her head.

“So, he was three when his father left, eight when his mother died, and ten when his sister was reported dead,” Annabeth bit her lip. If the sister’s body was never presented, did that mean she had been murdered? “How did the sister and mother die?”

“The mother died of illness. A type of lung cancer. She was far into it by the time she was diagnosed, though,” Reyna paused. “It was easier to find documents around the mother. She had been seeing a doctor in the last months of her life, so that was all recorded. For the sister I couldn’t find information as specific. She was reported dead, and I found an obituary for her, but not much else.”

Annabeth leaned forward to tap her pencil against the desk again. Her head was swimming.

“And no one asked for a body to be presented? Or for her cause of death?”

“Not that I can see.”

Annabeth couldn’t see how a death, one that didn’t yield a body, could go without investigation. Then again, she was coming from a perspective of Central City. They lived under the the eyes and thumb of Central Command. A death in some remote city where heavy manual labor was more common probably didn’t ping their radars as much as it did Annabeth’s.

Still, now Annabeth could add burned down family home and deaths to Nico di Angelo’s file. She didn’t feel any closer to figuring this kid out.

“Okay, but if eight year old Nico di Angelo and... What was his sister’s name again?”

“Bianca.”

“Right. How old was she when their mother died?”

Annabeth could hear Reyna rummaging papers. “She’s a year older than him.”

“What?” Annabeth’s thoughts halted. She tried to remember if she saw any papers that labeled Nico an orphan. “Then who was in charge of these kids?”

“They had a legal guardian, I think.”

“You think?”

“I couldn’t get access to that.”

Annabeth grunted. She knew Reyna didn’t have the same access as she did, but it still bugged her. Oh, well.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Annabeth stopped tapping her pencil when she realized Reyna’s somber tone. “No, that’s not your fault. You got me a lot more than I could’ve had by myself. Thank you.”

“I just wish I could have done more. I have to get back to work soon, so is there anything else you need?”

“Actually, yeah,” Annabeth stared at her transcript of Nico di Angelo’s interview portion of the state alchemist exam. “You still work under Jason, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me when he’s free for calls today?” Annabeth tapped at where the neat type spelled out Nico’s words, _Lt. Col. Jason Grace from Southern Command recommended me to take the exam_. “I have a few things I want to ask him.”

= = =

Annabeth spent the next few hours trying to get her work done. She jotted her thoughts down on small pieces of paper and tacked them to the board in front of her desk. At the moment, she had an entire corner dedicated to Nico di Angelo full of facts, ideas, and hypotheses. Annabeth chewed on the end of her pen, and tried to stop glancing at the phone.

It had been a quiet day so far. Her main superior, Lieutenant Colonel Zhang, hadn’t come in at all. That’s not new; he’s always out and about doing research investigations in the Central region of Amestris on high orders.

Without him the office turned quiet. There were others, sure. Fellow officers came in and out of the spacious main room periodically. It was just that they never stopped to talk with her unless there was a team case going on or if they needed advice. Annabeth almost chewed through her pen. She was usually against office chit chat, but the silence was a little too much today.

It was almost 15.00 hours. That was when Reyna said Jason would be available to take a call. Annabeth snorted.

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Grace was punctual and serious. That’s how Annabeth would sum him up, if she could.

The most important facet about him was that Reyna trusted him. Annabeth trusted Reyna, so she considered Jason an ally of sorts. Despite that, she couldn’t deny that he unsettled her a little. The guy radiated power in a way that didn’t seem natural. She chalked it up to his years of military experience, despite his age.

Annabeth gave up her waiting game and picked up the phone. As it rung and transferred her to the correct office, Annabeth read over what she wrote so far about this particular case.

“Good Afternoon, this is Lieutenant Colonel Jason Grace speaking. How may I help you?”

“It’s Annabeth,” she got a new pen to write with. “Do you remember recommending a kid named Nico di Angelo for the state alchemist exam?”

“Hello, Lieutenant Chase,” Jason paused. “I don’t keep track of the names of the people I recommend.”

“You recommend people a lot?” Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

“No, just a few. Where was this potential candidate from?”

“Yuflam. It’s east of Southern Command.”

“Oh.”

Annabeth sat up a little straighter.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I did recommend someone from that area to take the exam.”

“And?”

“I haven’t talked with them since.”

“Oh.”

“Is there a specific reason...?”

“I’m investigating the current applicants for the state alchemist exam. I’m trying to complete his profile, and check his background before the state gives him the title.”

“Oh, so he passed? Nico di Angelo, right?”

“Yeah, that’s his name. And, no. Not yet, anyway. We just finished the practicals. In fact, we got attacked.”

“I heard about that. They’ve been talking about beefing up Central Command, and that... Well, I’m sure however high command decides to deal with the fallout it’ll be a good choice.”

“That’s not even the interesting part,” Annabeth pushed on. “The kid, Nico, helped stop it. So did some others, but it was interesting because he performed alchemy without a circle.”

Annabeth refrained from calling it ‘clapping alchemy’ like General Jupiter had called it at the practical because when she tried looking it up, she couldn’t find anything on it. She was hoping, given General Jupiter’s reaction, that she could get some information about it out of Jason. He was his son, after all.

“Neat.”

“Neat?” Annabeth couldn’t hide her exasperation. She didn’t think it could be summed up with a single, happy, ‘neat.’ “You’re not even a little surprised?” Annabeth tried to get the phone closer to her ear.

“Well, no. I mean, I’m pretty sure he used a circle. It’s impossible to do it without one. It was probably just hidden. Mine is. You can tell a lot about a person’s alchemy just by seeing the design. Keeping it hidden until you strike allows less time for a counterattack.”

Annabeth never thought about it like that. It struck her that she didn’t even know what Jason’s circle looked like. She knew what kind of alchemy he specialized in, but she never personally saw him perform it.

“I don’t think he had a circle, though. His arms were bare. Nico clapped, and his alchemy worked.”

“He probably had a circle,” Jason insisted. Annabeth sighed. Maybe daddy dearest never mentioned ‘clapping alchemy’ to Jason. “Besides, he was really good at alchemy. I recommended him, after all.”

“How long ago did you recommend him?”

“I don’t know the exact date. It’s been awhile. A few years.”

Annabeth looked at the dates she had written.

“Was it before or after ’45?”

“Um, actually. I think that might’ve been the year.”

Annabeth blinked. 1945 was when Nico’s sister, Bianca, was reported dead.

“Did he have a sister?”

Jason was silent. Annabeth wondered if Jason disconnected.

“Not anymore,” his voice was level. “She... I definitely remember that part. He was really messed up over it.”

“I see.”

“Is there anything else you need? I have to get back to work.”

“Yeah, just... One more question. _Why_  did you recommend Nico for the state alchemist exam? What made you think to tell a grieving _ten year old_  that he should join the military?”

“I thought he could do it.”

“... And that’s it?”

“Do I need a better reason?”

“No... I guess not. I’ll let you work now, Lieutenant Colonel Grace.”

They exchanged goodbyes, and Annabeth hung up.

She sat back in her chair with a huff. So, Nico di Angelo got the idea in his head to become a state alchemist when he was ten. He’s done three consecutive attempts, so he started trying when he was twelve. Why the two year gap? Was he thinking it over? Did grief over his sister’s death stop him from pursuing right away?

The family home... It was burned down the same year Nico came to Central City and started applying for the state alchemist exam. Is that what made him leave?

None of that explained his skills, or his clapping alchemy.

Annabeth huffed. She felt like she was missing the important pieces of the puzzle. Annabeth wished she could step back from the puzzle. If she could see the whole board, and what pieces had to go down, she knew she would be able to solve this.

It wasn’t until a day later when Nico di Angelo’s medical file arrived did Annabeth realize what she had to do.

The file might as well have been wrapped like a present at how much joy curled itself in Annabeth’s stomach. Annabeth scoured the contents. The joy dissipated.

According to the file, Nico di Angelo was an amputee. He had automail surgery to replace his left leg in 1945. That was also the year his sister had been reported dead with no body presented, and when Lieutenant Colonel Jason Grace suggested he take the state alchemist’s exam.

There was no information given to how Nico had lost his leg.

Still, 1945.

Annabeth put the file down. She’s never lost a limb, but she’s heard the stories.

The market for prosthetic limbs in Amestris was humongous due to the constant wars. Lots of soldiers lose limbs in combat. The people lucky enough to have the money, and a nervous system that can handle it, have the option to get an automail prosthetic. It worked like a flesh limb when finally attached, but the process was extremely painful. Annabeth heard it usually took three years for adults to recover from the process.

This kid did the recovery time in two at the most, and he moved on that leg like a hurricane.

Annabeth didn’t know what she had been expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Annabeth sat back, and looked at all her notes.

His name was Nico di Angelo, and he just turned fifteen. City of birth was Yuflam in the Southern region. When he was three, his father left. When he was eight, his mother died. When he was ten, his sister died, he underwent automail surgery, and he was approached by Lieutenant Colonel Jason Grace about becoming a state alchemist. Three years ago the di Angelo house was burned to the ground, and Nico di Angelo began taking the state alchemist exam. He is most likely going to become a state alchemist at fifteen years old.

Annabeth could be expecting too much out of this. It’s been a long time since she’s had a good case to obsess over. Reyna had even called Nico’s file her “pet project.” Annabeth should just call it a day and give it the ‘okay.’

_No_. Annabeth stood up to go open a window. Kids don’t become skilled out of nowhere. They don’t have crafty hidden circles to do amazing clapping alchemy like a paranoid war veteran. They don’t mysteriously leave the same year their house burned down. They don’t somehow lose a leg and a sister with absolutely no official documents saying how. That just doesn’t happen.

Annabeth leaned against the windowsill. The cool breeze washed over her face. She needed to cool down. She needed to think.

_Think, Annabeth, think,_  Annabeth admonished. _You’re supposed to be good at this._

Annabeth cracked open her eyes. She didn’t realize she had closed them.

A thought hit her that... No.

Annabeth went back to her desk to look at his medical file. It still refused to tell her how he had lost a limb, but she flipped through the paperwork anyway.

Annabeth never connected it before, but she wondered if Nico’s loss of limb and his sister’s death were related. The sister... Bianca, was her name. Her body was never presented. If the two instances were related, what kind of accident would kill a person and dismember another? There were mountains in Yuflam; it could’ve been a rockslide.

Annabeth chewed her bottom lip. They would dig Bianca’s body out if that was true.

She had wondered if Bianca had been murdered when Reyna told her about her death. It was usually murder combined with the body being buried in some remote location that stopped authorities from retrieving a body. Fire, as well, but the house fire wasn’t until after Bianca was dead.

The problem was that if Bianca was murdered, there should have been an investigation on it. A mention, at the least.

The circumstances around Bianca di Angelo’s death, and everything else that happened in 1945, felt muddy. Annabeth didn’t like swimming in the mud. She wanted it to be crystal clear with all the facts laid out. She just didn’t know what to do. She only had three days before she conducted the follow up interviews and had to turn in all of her background checks on the applicants.

Annabeth bolted upright.

In three days she would be sitting face to face with Nico di Angelo. In three days it would be her job to question the boy whose past has more holes in it than a badly knitted sweater.

She still had one more shot to finish the puzzle. She just needed Nico di Angelo to hand her the final pieces.

= = =

Annabeth slowed and parked on the side street. The engine’s roar petered off, and she collected the necessary documents spread out in the passenger’s seat. She had drove back and forth Central City all morning doing interviews, so the sun was low in the sky as it hid behind overcast clouds. She had one more prospective state alchemist to interview. Annabeth smirked.

She cross checked the address on her document to make sure she was in the right place before she exited her vehicle and knocked on the front door.

When the door cracked open, Annabeth was face to face with Nico di Angelo.

It was weird seeing his face. Annabeth had been staring at nothing but text and walls all week long that she had almost forgotten what he looked like. He was thin like a weed, and Annabeth suspected that he’d probably grow like one too if given the time. He had bony hands that were wringing each other. Annabeth made the first move.

“Hello, I’m Lieutenant Chase,” she held out her hand to shake. He was still a civilian, after all. “I’m here to conduct a follow up interview for the state alchemist exam.”

“I’m Nico di Angelo,” he shook her hand with his cold one. “Please, come in.”

She followed him through the house. It was neat and orderly. Annabeth raised her eyebrows and stopped walking when she realized Nico was descending down into a basement.He must’ve noticed that she stopped because he turned around on the staircase.

“This is where I live,” he gestured below him. “I don’t like to impose on my friend and her roommate.”

Annabeth tilted her head.

She didn’t make a habit of following strange mysterious alchemists down basement staircases. If worse came to worst, she had accessible knives on her body to slash his throat if he attacked her as well as her standard issue gun. Plus, her reflexes in close combat are probably more refined than his. Annabeth followed him down.

He flicked a switch to bathe the room in light. From the first interview portion of the exam done in front of the Führer himself, Nico divulged that he had been mostly living with his friend for the past three years while in Central City. However, the room didn’t look lived in. Furniture covered in dust and cobwebs were pushed to the sides to make room for a small cot. There were books, some brand new and others with broken spines, stacked on top of a desk next to the cot. Annabeth made a note that there was no personal items or any objects that suggested he did anything besides read down here.

Nico gestured her to a chair that had been pulled out for her if the dust marks on the floor were anything to go by. Annabeth sat down and used the dusty table next to her as a writing desk. She got her pages to transcribe the conversation ready as Nico sat across from her at his desk chair that had been turned to face her.

Annabeth decided to start simple.

“So, how are you feeling? I hope everything has been well.”

“Yeah. It’s been a quiet week.”

“Good. How have you found the test so far?” Annabeth flipped through the documents as if checking information, but she already memorized his file “This is your third attempt, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am. I feel like I did better this time around. I’ve never gotten this far before, and I did my best.”

Annabeth eyed him. “Is there a reason you did so badly the first two times?”

“I guess I wasn’t ready or good enough.”

“Yes, but you did so well this time around. You said you studied, but the jump in improvement was remarkable. You sure you didn’t have a teacher to guide you this time around? Get a few pointers from another state alchemist?”

“No. I just... Studied harder. It wasn’t that big of a jump, was it?”

“You went from failing miserably to a couple points shy of a perfect score. There was over fifty points of difference between both your previous written exams and this one.”

Nico pursed his lips. He was silent for a few moments. Annabeth was going to ask again, but then he balled his fists.

“I knew it!” He looked livid. “I knew he was sabotaging me!”

Annabeth blinked. “Who?”

“That guy!” Nico waved his arms. Annabeth decided not to point out the uselessness in that description. “The first time I just thought I was too nervous and not prepared enough, but I definitely saw him pocket my test the second time! He was there for all three tests... He kept lurking around me like some creepy grim reaper and... Ugh!”

“You’re saying you think someone from the military tampered with your test?”

“Yeah! But... Whatever,” Nico slumped. “I got through this time even though he was there again. Maybe he gave up on whatever weird failing obsession he had with me.”

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. The idea that a military officer that had a high enough rank to oversee the state alchemist exam tampered with some random kid’s test was absurd. Then again, everything about Nico di Angelo was absurd. She jot down a memo for herself to look into this later, but decided to continue on with the conversation.

“Maybe. How’d you find the practical? I know we had a blip with the rebel attack, but I saw you do excellent work.”

“Thanks. The practical was fine. A lot easier than the written portion, actually.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I have a lot of trouble sitting still, so studying to make sure I had all the concepts down to write about them technically was a real pain.”

“I’m the same way,” Annabeth tried for a smile. She knew it made applicants more willing to talk when she presented herself more like a nice blonde secretary they could chat and drink tea with. “It’s tough to sit still, but I find if I’m working on something I’m truly interested in, it helps me concentrate.”

“Yeah,” Nico agreed.

“Did you get along with the other applicants? I saw you talk to a few of the panel members. How’d you find them?”

“I didn’t really talk to other applicants besides Hazel. I’m not a big crowd person. I thought they were nice enough, though. The panel was a little gruff towards the end, but they’re high end military. That’s natural, right?”

“Of course,” Annabeth assured. She didn’t believe that, but it was better to placate the kid. “Now, you realize that this is the final stage, correct? That in a few days you could possibly be awarded with the title of state alchemist.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you are aware that once you’re in the system, you’re in? We’ll keep tabs on you regardless of whether you are stationed at a command center or if you’re doing field research. You have an option of either, but you are always a representative of the state and are required to have periodic checkups and an annual assessment to keep your license. Do you understand all of that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And do you understand that you must be honest to your superiors? That you must defer to people with higher ranks, and are expected to lead those of lower ranks. As a state alchemist, you are automatically granted the rank of a Major,” Annabeth eyed Nico di Angelo. It just hit her that if he does become a state alchemist, he’ll outrank her. She tried not to let the twinge of jealously affect her. Nico stared at her with a fire in his eyes that could only be called determination.

“I understand, Lieutenant Chase.”

“Good. Now, I would like to ask you a few personal questions. Is that alright?”

“.... Yes ma’am.”

“Can you tell me what made you decide to become a state alchemist?”

“I want to help people.”

Annabeth almost laughed. It was the exact same answer he had given during the first interview portion down to the lettering. She tapped her pen a few times.

“Anything more specific than that?”

“No. I don’t care who they are. There are lots of people who need help in the world. If I can do even a little bit... Then that’s fine by me. But I want to do a lot.”

Annabeth tried not to grin. It was charming in a nauseatingly idealistic way.

“Right. Sounds to me you’ve got a bit of a hero complex.”

“You can call it what you want.”

“I think it’s admirable,” Annabeth added when she noticed he looked uncomfortable. She needed him as relaxed as possible for the next section of questions. “A state alchemist is supposed to be a hero of the people. You’ve heard that, right? You’ve probably also heard a lot of criticisms about our state alchemists. Some people claim they don’t think of the people and that they’re nothing but dogs of the military.”

“Yeah... I’ve heard that.”

“Alchemists come in to the program wanting different things,” Annabeth explained. “That’s why motives are so important. Their history as well,” Annabeth paused to gather her thoughts. She had to bait this correctly. “We try to make sure that our alchemists are earnest and hardworking, but sometimes a few bad ones slip into the system. It’s my job to help stop that. I think there should be more alchemists that think of the people... Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I also believe that honesty is the best policy. Do you agree with that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“So then, I have a question for you, Nico...” Annabeth flipped through her documents for show. “But first, let me preface this: I wasn’t lying about my job being to help weed out potential state alchemists. I do background checks, and I help build a profile for each of the final candidates. I know quite a bit about your background, and I’m ready to submit your file over to high command,” she closes the folder and holds it up for him to see. “The problem is that they might not be happy with what I’ve gathered. There’s a few holes in it that are unanswered,” she places the file on the writing desk again, and watches the way Nico’s eyes stay on it.

“I have ideas, of course,” Annabeth continued. “I’ve looked through newspapers, your medical files, the arson report of your home, and I even spoke to my good friend Lieutenant Colonel Grace-- the one who gave you a letter of recommendation to take the exam-- all about you,” Annabeth noticed a twitch out of the namedrop. Good. “But, I would rather hear it from you. I like honesty, and I also like the truth. I find they go hand in hand. So, back to my question: do you have anything to tell me before you move forward with this process? Do you have anything to confess? Anything at all?”

Annabeth kept eye contact with Nico di Angelo. She didn’t want to miss anything. She noted his hands in his lap scratching at each other as the silence pressed on. He was looking at her, but his gaze seemed glazed over deep in thought. Nico was thinking it over, and Annabeth hoped he would make the right decision and tell her everything she wanted to know.

“I do, actually,” Nico’s gaze dropped to the hands in his lap. “You... You probably already know if you did all that research, but...” Nico raised his head. The nervous movement of his hands stopped. “I’ll tell you the whole story. The real story, and not some observation. I’ve never talked to anyone about everything that happened. I don’t think I was ready to. But, getting as far as I did on the exam... I’m moving forward. I think I’m ready to tell the truth now.”


	4. IV. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to finally find out what's been going on with Nico di Angelo.

Nico’s automail leg felt abnormally heavy as he took a deep breath.

Lieutenant Chase already knew most of what happened five years ago. So it wouldn’t matter either way if Nico told it or not -- he was probably going to be arrested either way. He wasn’t an expert in Law, but he knew he was going to get a worse punishment if he didn’t say anything. Or maybe a miracle would happen, and Lt.Chase would decide not to report Nico like Lt. Col. Grace did. People like that existed.

“I do, actually.” Nico dropped his eyes to his wringing hands so he could work up the nerve to actually follow through with this. “You... You probably already know if you did all that research, but...” Nico’s fists clenched the fabric of his pants and looked Lt. Chase in the eye. “I’ll tell you the whole story. The real story, and not some observation. I’ve never talked to anyone about everything that happened. I don’t think I was ready to. But, getting as far as I did on the exam... I’m moving forward. I think I’m ready to tell the truth now.”

Lt. Chased looked at him with an unnervingly smug smile that almost made Nico lose his nerve. Thankfully, she looked down to pull out blank paper for a transcription and Nico was able to close his eyes and collect himself. His whole body was trembling, but he knew that he was doing the right thing. And even if he wasn’t, there wasn’t any turning back now.

He took a deep breath and dove in head first. “It’s hard to talk about my past without talking about my sister Bianca and my friend Leo…”

It was amazing how easily everything came back to Nico. He’d been trying to suppress the memories for so long that as soon as he touched them, they sprung to life like he was a child in Yuflam again. With a living sister and a best friend that actually trusted him.

This was going to be a long story.

 

= = =

 

We were inseparable when we were younger – sometimes, Leo was mistaken for our real sibling, even though we didn’t think we looked anything alike. His hair was curlier than ours and he didn’t have any freckles. His mom and my mom were pregnant with us at the same time, and their friendship sparked our own.

I don’t know how they managed to put up with us. When Leo and I got together we were _terrifying_. Probably the only reason the neighbors didn’t strangle us was because Bianca would bail us out. I remember one time we were playing catch, Leo threw it straight over my head and it crashed through the neighbor’s window. Bianca grabbed us both by our collars and threw us into the bushes right before the neighbor came out and yelled at her instead.

And before you start getting the wrong idea, Bianca was just as bad as either of us – she was just smarter about it. She only pulled pranks she thought couldn’t be traced back to her.

The three of us were inseparable. A family. But things changed once Leo’s mother died. Bianca started to get overprotective of us – making sure our shirts were tucked in and walking us all the way to class. She didn’t play with us either. Not that Leo felt much like playing.

Several weeks later -- in 1942 -- found Leo and me sharing a room. Mom would come pound on the door every morning and say, “Time to get up if you want any food before school.”

Leo and I groaned in harmony, and I grudgingly pushed myself upright. Half asleep, I got dressed with my eyes half closed. I almost stumbled out of the room like that, but remembered Leo at the last second.

“Leo, come on,” I said, shaking the lump of covers on Leo’s bed. “You wanna eat, right?”

He only groaned and buried his face deeper in his pillow. I tried two more times to get him up, and finally resorted to grabbing his ankles threatening, “Do I have to pull you out?”

“Don’t…” Leo grumbled, halfheartedly trying to pull his legs back under the covers.

I rolled my eyes. “You’ll thank me later.” I tugged Leo’s legs, and pulled them until his knees were hanging toward the floor.

“Quit it!” Leo said, flailing his legs and clutching his pillow. “Nico, I mean it--! Stop!”

A kick hit me square in the sternum, and knocked me to the ground. I was winded, and gasped several times before managing to sit up again, clutching a sore chest. When I did, Leo was sitting upright in his bed with wide eyes and a slack jaw. We stared at each other for several seconds, and before either of us said anything, the door flew open and my mother entered.

She was a pretty woman. Her black hair used to be long, but she cut it after the funeral. Her curls framed her face better with short hair, I think. And you could see her freckles, too. She looked between the two of us and asked, “Is everyone alright?”

“Leo wouldn’t get up,” I explained.

“I see.” Mom gave Leo a sympathetic look, but he was intensely studying the sheets balled in his hands, so he probably didn’t notice. She put a hand on my shoulder and said, “I’m going to talk to Leo for a bit. You go downstairs and eat with your sister, alright?”

“Okay,” I said, standing up.

“Make sure you two leave on time.”

“Okaaaay,” I said, grabbing the door handle. As I swung the door shut, I saw mom wrap an arm around Leo’s shoulders.

I wasn’t sure what to make of it, at the time. All I knew was that Leo was acting weird, and it didn’t make sense to me. I walked down the stairs to the dining room. Bianca was already sitting at the table, her legs swinging under her chair.

“What happened?” she asked as I sat at the table.

“Leo wouldn’t get up,” I repeated, grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl

Bianca spread jam on her toast. “Then what was that loud noise?”

“I tried to pull him out of bed and he kicked me,” I said. “Mom’s talking to him.”

Bianca sighed. “You should be nice to him, Nico. He’s going through a lot right now.”

“I know,” I mumbled, sinking down into my chair. “Sorry.”

“I’m not the one who nears to hear an apology.”

Before long, it was time for us to go to school, but mom never came downstairs with Leo. We waited as long as we could, but Bianca took my hand when it was time to leave and pulled me toward the school. I kept glancing over my shoulder to see if Leo would catch up with us.

He didn’t. In fact, Leo missed all of our morning classes. I had a really hard time sitting still through all those and I was practically bouncing out of my seat by the the time the break bell rung. Between nervous energy and worry, I wondered if I should run home to check to on Leo real quick. Just to make sure he was really actually alright. Then I could come back right afterward. That was the plan.

I didn’t even make it out the door before a hand grabbed my shoulder. I jumped, barely managing to cover my mouth before making any noise. A familiar voice cackled behind me.

“Dude, it’s just me.”

When I turned, Leo was flashing me a toothy grin. I let out my held breath and asked, “You’re okay?”

“ _Okay_? I’m better than _okay_ , man!” He made a big gesture with his arms. “You wouldn’t _believe_  what I saw on the way here!”

“What was it?”

“Alchemists! Like, real for-the-people ones!” Leo bounced on the balls of his feet. “They’re right in town fixing up people’s stuff! I’ve been watching them all day – you’ve _got_  to come see this!”

“What about school?” I asked.

“We go to school every day,” Leo said, waving it away. “How often are we gonna be able to see a _real_  alchemist at work?”

I took a moment to consider my options, but there really was no contest. I was seven, and that was a _very_  compelling argument for a seven year old.

“Let’s go.”

Leo whooped and grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the school and into town. My chest felt a lot lighter, running with him like that. It was good to see him smiling so wide. He brought me right to the town square, where a pair of travelers had set up camp along the side of the road via a tattered blanket. They certainly looked out of place -- even without the hastily drawn sign saying, “Alchemy repair -- good as new! CHEAP!!!” The younger of the two was almost as tall as his brother, and twice as wide with both fat and muscle bulking him up. His face was round like a child’s, but one of his eyes was covered by a patch. The second one -- I’ll call him the Alchemist -- was in his late teens with a mischievous smirk that reminded me of Leo. With good reason it, it turned out.

“Hey, Leo!” The Alchemist grinned as we approached them, and they bumped fists the moment they came within reach. “And this must be Nico?”

I nodded. He introduced himself and his brother, and the four of us spent the rest of the day together. We talked, joked, and laughed, but the best part was when they got customers and we got to watch the Alchemist work. It filled me with warmth and excitement, and no matter how many times I saw the reaction sparks, I couldn’t stop admiring how beautiful everything was. It was like magic. Leo looked just as captivated every time I chanced a glance at him. Though it had a rocky start, the day had ended up much better than I could have hoped for.

Of course, we had to be brought crashing down to reality. This time, it took the form of an eight year old girl barreling toward us with flailing arms, yelling our names. Before we realized what was happening, Bianca pounded on our arms screaming, “You morons! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! You guys were _gone_! No one saw you leave! What was I supposed to do?! What was I supposed to tell mom?!”

Guilt writhed in my stomach, but before I had a chance to say anything, Leo stepped forward. “Sorry, Bianca. I was the one who convinced Nico to skip school with me. Don’t be mad. Please?”

Bianca huffed, looking between Leo and myself, taking steadily deeper breaths as the seconds ticked by. She grumbled, “You’re just lucky I haven’t told mom yet.”

Leo and I let out a collective sigh.

“Sorry,” I said, going over to her and giving her a big hug.

She sighed and hugged me back. We quickly sprung apart like it had never happened. Bianca crossed her arms and glanced at Leo. “What were you guys doing anyway?”

Leo jumped at the question, bouncing on the balls of his feet again. “Alchemy! These guys are alchemists and they’re fixing stuff for people!”

“Alchemists?” Bianca blinked, and looked at the Alchemist and his brother for the first time. The brother seemed kind of intimidated by Bianca, and was trying very hard to hide behind the Alchemist, but he didn’t seem to be having much luck with it. The Alchemist looked like he desperately didn’t want to be somewhere with a pissed-off eight year old. Bianca was skeptical, but the same light shone in her eyes at the mention of Alchemy that Leo had. “These guys are alchemists? Like dad?”

“Well, I’m nobody’s dad, but I _am_  an alchemist,” he said.

“Could you show me?” Bianca asked, her eyes lighting up. “Please?”

The Alchemist looked hesitant, but it was obvious he couldn’t refuse a little girl’s pleading eyes. “Oh, alright. But you only get one freebee.”

He drew a simple chalk circle on the street, and placed a sheet of scrap paper overtop. He pressed his hand to the ground, and the circle sparked with blue light, the paper folding itself up into an origami flower. Bianca was transfixed, watching his every move. Even when he finally offered the flower to her, she didn’t blink.

The longer he sat there with his arm outstretched, the more unnerved he got. “Um. Are you alri--”

“How long are you going to stay in Yuflam?” she asked.

“Uh.” The Alchemist glanced at his brother. “We haven’t decided yet? We’re a little short on money, so--”

“You can stay with us.

Leo let out an incredulous “What?!” while I said “Bianca!”

“In exchange,” Bianca barreled on. “Will you teach me alchemy?”

The Alchemist bit his lip. “I don’t--”

“Hey, I want to learn alchemy too!” Leo said, jumping forward.

“Me too!” I said, crowding in with the other two.

The Alchemist looked helplessly between the three of us expectant children and rubbed his forehead. “Alright. Maybe. But I’m warning you, I’m probably a really shi—uh, bad teacher. And I have to talk it over with your parents. Like, a lot.”

 

After the alchemist worked out the details over with Mom, we managed to get our first alchemy teacher. He and his brother took Leo and my room, so we spent the next couple of week cramped together with Bianca. But we didn’t care. We were learning _alchemy_. Leo and I took turns drawing the basic square-in-a-circle symbols, but we didn’t manage to make anything.

There were times we would get bored and consider sneaking off, but one look at Bianca changed our minds. She was constantly practicing drawing circles, to the point of being able to draw them freehand. She used rulers and compasses to check her work, and compared her version to what was in dad’s books. I think she understood what the books said, too – especially with the Alchemist there to explain what she didn’t. Of course, she was the first one who managed to transmute anything. I was so impressed, and she was _so_  proud, but Leo just laughed and said it looked like a lumpy rock. I nudged him and pointed out he hadn’t managed to transmute anything at all and the three of us ended up wrestling through our chalk circles with our very exasperated mentor watched us.

But we _did_  improve. Once Leo and I managed to get the basics down – drawing a perfect circle, making sure we had enough starting material, imagining the final product – we improved quite fast. We even managed to get breaks now and again. During a quiet moment like that, Leo noticed the alchemist’s brother making something. Not by alchemy – but with his own two hands, large as they were. Leo watched the brother work with metal and nuts and bolts with fascination. Eventually, Leo even started to ask him questions. I listened to them talk as they worked together, building something new from scratch, but my eyes only ended up glazing over, so I watched them work instead. For the first time in months, Leo looked truly himself again as he worked on the machine. And after that, Leo wasn’t only studying alchemy – he studied mechanics too.

But all good things come to an end, I suppose. The Alchemist and his brother returned to traveling. We had to study on our own. Leo found a new parent. And we… well. Bianca and I lost one.

It was in the spring of the next year. We saw it coming – sort of. Mom worked harder and longer to support the three of us, and in the end that was running her into the ground. Leo decided to live with someone else, but it didn’t help. She still had to visit the doctor more often, and when she was home she was utterly exhausted. Bianca cooked most of our meals now, and took on more and more of mother’s chores as she grew sicker. Eventually, our mom couldn’t even leave her bed.

At a time when we should have been playing in the fields or chasing each other through the woods, we were dressed in dusty second-hand suits. We didn’t have a viewing or a wake-- just the burial. I remember crying and crying and wondering how Bianca was strong enough not to. She hugged me all morning until it was time to leave -- where she straightened my lapel and lead me by the hand to the graveyard.

Leo and his Tío met us along the way. Leo tried to crack a smile at me, but his eyes were as red and puffy as mine. Piper -- a friend that visited us during the summers -- came for the funeral and gave us all hugs the second she spotted us. She was crying just as much as I was even though she was a lot older than us, so I didn’t feel so bad about crying myself.

I couldn’t watch as the casket was lowered. It made everything too real. I wanted to go back to the times when mom would pull us into a large hug and whisper into our hair that everything would be alright. But she wouldn’t and we couldn’t and all I could do was bury my face into Bianca’s sleeve as she watched on, transfixed.

 

= = =

 

Here, the words caught in Nico’s throat. They were nearing the beginning of the end, and Nico’s throat was dry. So dry. The scratching of Lt. Chase’s pen against the notepad continued until she caught up with Nico’s words and she was looking at him expectantly again.

Nico took a deep breath and pushed ahead.

 

= = =

 

After that, we were officially taken in by Leo’s guardian, but we mostly kept to our old house. It was familiar and home, no matter how much we liked Tío. He didn’t have enough room for us either, and there was a part of us that worried we’d run another single parent into the ground.

Bianca stopped acting like a sister and became more… like a mom. She wouldn’t play with me or Leo at all, and barely made time to talk with Piper. I felt like I lost Bianca too. I was mad, and started to blame my father for abandoning us and not answering any of Bianca’s letters before Mom died. But even so, I tried to write him too. Tried writing to everyone Bianca did because maybe, just maybe, dad would be around and decide to come back. Bianca could be a sister again, and we’d be able to have a family.

Of course that didn’t happen. Weeks turned to months, and I gave up on any so-called father riding in on a white horse to save us. It was just Bianca and me.

One night when we were both sleeping in Mom’s bed -- we hadn’t really slept separately since her death -- Bianca’s back was turned toward me, and I saw through the moonlight that her shoulders were shaking. I scooted closer to her and realized she was crying.

“I want mom back,” she muttered.

“Me too.”

She jumped and wiped her eyes as she turned toward me. “You weren’t asleep yet?”

I shook my head, hugged her, and nuzzled my face into her shoulder. “I wish mom was here too.”

She hugged me back, but stayed quiet for so long that I almost thought she had fallen asleep, but  her shoulders were too tense for that. She licked her lips and said cautiously, “What if… what if there were a way to revive mom?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, pulling away from her.

Bianca pulled the covers over her shoulder. “I’ve been reading the books dad left… There are a lot of them that have notes for a human transmutation theory. I think it might actually revive Mom.”

“But everyone says it’s forbidden,” I reminded her.

“Yeah. It’d get bad if we got caught. But if it works… we’d get mom back.”

I felt a tug in my stomach. I remembered all the meals mom would make. How she’d run her hand through my hair when she read me a story. The way her lips would purse when Leo and I came home covered in mud. The way she and Bianca would sing together as they did chores. Every kiss she’d plant on our foreheads before school.

I bit my lip as tears welled up in my eyes. I looked to Bianca, who looked at me with determination. I felt my resolve harden and I asked, “What do we need to do?”

We spend the rest of the night in dad’s study, and slept through morning classes. We decided to skip the rest of the day, figuring we’d say we were sick the next day. But Leo came to check up on us. I wanted to tell him about our plan, but Bianca advised against it. We weren’t sure if we’d be able to do it or not. Until we knew for sure, the less people who knew about it the better. I felt bad keeping a secret from Leo, but Bianca was a lot smarter than I was so I did what she said. We lied to Leo, told him that things had gotten out of hand at the house and we needed a day to bring it back into shape. After that, we were invited over to Tío’s for dinner a lot more often. Sometimes Bianca refused, but mostly we went. She asked him questions and learned from him. I didn’t really understand what they were talking about, but I did my best to read the books in dad’s study and help her that way. But it wasn’t long before we hit a wall and couldn’t learn any more on our own. We needed a new teacher.

I won’t go into the details, but we found one. A really good one. She trained all three of us -- Leo too -- in the mountains. We got a lot of practical knowledge about alchemy. She did warn us about Human Transmutation, but we were too stubborn to see the truth of her words. We did, however, learn that Leo wasn’t interested at all. So when our teacher left, we continued our studies without him. He didn’t think it was strange, because we were more into alchemy than he was, and we had already pulled away so much…

Then, in 1945, Bianca decided that we were ready. I was too, sort of. I was really nervous. Buying the materials for the transmutation felt surreal. But every time my stomach squirmed, I remembered the family we could be again, and pushed forward. We used a few drops of our own blood to represent the soul, and then we activated the transmutation circle. At first, everything looked fine. Blue sparks swirled around the circle, and the ingredients started to shift. I felt it go wrong before I saw it. There was a pull inside of my chest as the sparks turned blood red. Someone screamed, and I blacked out.

When I woke up, I felt myself bleeding out before I opened my eyes. My leg was gone. My whole body felt like it was on fire, and I had trouble breathing. I called Bianca’s name over and over, but she never answered. My stomach churned, because she _always_  answered. I looked around for her, but she was gone. The transmutation had taken her. I heard a ragged breathing from the center of the circle, and looked hopefully, but… let’s just say it wasn’t human. Or anything close to it. I screamed and collapsed on the ground, fading in and out of consciousness.

 

= = =

Nico looked up from the floor to look at Lt. Chase. “That’s when your friend Lt. Col. Grace arrived, though he was just a Lieutenant back then. I had seen him a couple of times around town, working on getting the soldiers to leave after the Second Southern Border War ended. I don’t know what he was doing near our house, but I think he saw the light of the transmutation and went to investigate. He broke down our door to get in.” Nico glanced down at his lap, and rubbed his thumb back and forth over his other thumbnail. “I was terrified at the time, though. I thought he was going to kill me for breaking the law.” Nico laughed hollowly. “He saved me, though. Stopped the bleeding and got me to help. And then, once I was treated, he offered to recommend me for the State Alchemist’s exam. I don’t know what was going through his head at the time, but I was grateful. He gave me a goal to work toward. And that brings us to today. Any questions?”

Lt. Chase was pale in the low light. Her pen had been hovering over her notebook without making a single mark for quite some time. His question seemed to jolt her out of her stupor though. She cleared her throat and rearranged her papers just to give her something to do and a moment to think. She looked up at him again when she asked, “What happened to what you transmuted?”

Nico paled. “It died,” he said curtly, his hands gripping each other tightly. “We buried it.”

“What about your house?” She asked, tapping her pen against one of her papers. “I heard it burned down three years ago.”

“Oh, you know about that?” Nico rubbed his forehead wearily. “I did it. It was Leo’s idea back when I was recovering from the transmutation. At the time, I couldn’t bear to think of it. But after a year of rehab I realized I was letting my past control my life. I couldn’t move forward with that house staring me in the face. So I burned it before I left. It was legally mine, so I figured it was okay for me to do that. Was I wrong?”

“Arson is arson,” she said, making a note in her file.

“Whoops.” Nico shrugged. He figured it wasn’t going to make much difference at this point. He was either going to jail or _really_  going to jail. If he wasn’t killed first.

“Another thing,” Lt. Chase said, setting the file onto the table next to her, and turning her sharp, gray eyes on him. “How is it that you can use alchemy without a circle? From my understanding, that should be impossible.”

Nico shifted uncomfortably. If he answered her question honestly, it might outing his teacher too. He didn’t want to put anyone else he cared about at risk. But this woman… Lieutenant Chase… He was pretty sure she would be able to see straight through any lie he cooked up. Maybe a partial truth…

“There _is_  a circle. It’s just… more abstract than most alchemists work with.”  Nico pressed his palms together. “When I put my hands together, it’s like connecting a circuit. My body is the circle, and then all that’s missing is the material – which I get by touching what I want to transmute.”

“So, _any_  alchemist can do this, with enough expertise?” she asked, her eyebrows raised skeptically.

“N-No.” Nico sighed. He was so exhausted. “The ability appeared after the transmutation.”

She stared at him, her mouth slack but her eyebrows furrowed. “So… you’re saying that clapping alchemy is a technique that can only be achieved after performing human transmutation?”

“I don’t know if it’s the _only_  way, but it’s how _I_  got there.”

Lieutenant Chase looked surprisingly upset about this information. She didn’t even remember to write it down. She just grabbed his file and rifled through the papers, her eyes too unfocused to be actually looking at anything. Her voice wavered, just a little bit, when she said, “Is there anything _else_  I should know about?”

Nico almost laughed, he was so relieved that they were almost done. Before any of his filters could get in the way, he said, “I cheated on my math test in second grade?”

She sighed, probably as exhausted as he was, and asked, “How did you expect to be accepted as a member of the military with a past like yours?”

Nico shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t expect much. Either you guys would want me, or you wouldn’t. And if you didn’t, I’d justly be punished for my crimes. But just in case I could make a difference -- start making up for my sins -- I thought the risk was worth it.”

“I’m legally required to report this to my superiors. You’ll be put on trial in front of them, and they’ll be the ones who decide your fate.”

Nico nodded. “I understand. Do you want to arrest me now, or…?”

“Yes. Please follow me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nico stood, and gave her a weak smile. “Thank you for listening to my story.”

Lt. Chase eyed him quietly, and motioned for him to walk upstairs first.


	5. V. Jason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for missing Friday's update; here's today's update, on time!

_Southern Command_

Jason would rather be electrocuted than have another late afternoon meeting. Meetings were important, but his brain wanted to shut down and take a nap. Jason squashed that part of him down until they were dismissed and breathed out a sigh of relief when it was over.

“These things do go on too long, don’t they?”

Jason almost jumped out of his skin. He looked up to see a kind face peering down at him. Her hair was dark like raven’s feathers, and her skin had a healthy glow. She radiated many things, but beauty and comfort jumped to the forefront of Jason’s mind.

It took him a moment to place who she was because she never appeared the same way twice. Just yesterday she was blonde.

“Brigadier General Venus,” he saluted her. Her smile grew, and despite her higher rank, she returned the salute.

“And, it’s _Colonel_  Grace now, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” Jason tried to hide his surprise that she knew about his recent promotion. He hadn’t told anyone about it except Sergeant Major Ramírez-Arellano.

Brigadier General Venus turned to walk away, but beckoned him to walk with her. Together, they left the meeting room.

“Congratulations, by the way,” Brigadier General Venus eyes caught the light, but he still couldn’t tell what color they were. “You scored a promotion and a transfer all in one swoop. Someone must have their eyes on you at Central Command.”

Jason couldn’t tell if she was teasing him for his parentage or sincerely congratulating him. Considering her reputation, it was probably both.

“I got it by my own merit,” Jason decided on saying. The urge to go into detail about his recent evaluations to defend his newest position rose in his chest, but Jason pushed it down. He didn’t want to seem too defensive. The rumor mill was bad enough about him as it stands, and Jason would have enough to deal with when he gets settled into Central Command.

Brigadier General Venus laughed.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. You truly are an exceptional soldier,” Brigadier General Venus eyed him. He didn’t know whether to feel uncomfortable or grateful for her gaze. “I’m glad I’ll be able to continue to see that. They’re transferring me to Central Command as well.”

“They are?” Jason forgot decorum to gape like a fish. He knew they were beefing up Central Command after the recent terrorist attack. After all, no matter what his evaluations said, he was pretty sure that’s the real reason that he was promoted and transferred in the first place.

What Jason didn’t expect was for them to move one of Southern Command’s most prominent soldiers. Brigadier General Venus did wonders on and off the battlefield, and was probably the most well-known and beloved soldier in South City with exception to the Führer. If they were moving her, maybe things in Central weren’t going as smooth as Jason had expected.

“I haven’t told many people yet, so keep that a secret between you and me until I jump ship, okay?” Brigadier General Venus winked at him, and patted his shoulder. “But, yes, I have a seat there waiting for me.”

Brigadier General Venus stopped walking. Jason realized that she had been leading him to his office this whole time.

“I’m not transferring as soon as you, but when I do, don’t hesitate to come to me for anything. Old Southern buddies have to stick together, don’t we?” She smiled again. Jason felt like he was in a daze every time she smiled. The Venus Charm, people would call it. It was one of her deadliest weapons.

“I expect great things from you, Colonel Grace,” she turned to walk away. Jason opened his office door and heard the telephone ringing. Crap.

“Oh, and by the way,” Brigadier General Venus called out. Jason found it hard to ignore the ringing, but gave his attention to her. “It’ll be _Major General_  Venus the next time we meet. Unless it’s for tea. Then you can call me by my first name.”

With that, she pivoted and exited down a different corridor. The phone in his office stopped ringing.

Jason sighed.

He stepped into his office and slumped. Well, if anyone at Southern Command deserved a promotion, it was definitely Bri... Major General Venus. He had never taken her up for private tea before, but she was kind to him on the few times they crossed paths during work. Everyone under her command was wrapped around her finger, and Jason had seen her lead the battlefield like she had been born to do it. He wished he had that kind of natural ease with leadership.

The phone started ringing again. Jason hurried to pick it up on the first ring, and tried not to speak too fast in his haste to answer.

“Good Evening; this is Colonel Jason Grace speaking. How may I help you?”

“It’s Annabeth.”

Jason paused for a few seconds to process her tired tone, and sat down at his desk. He hoped she was alright.

“Hello,” he greeted.

“Look, I’m just going to jump into this... You _are_  aware human transmutation is illegal, right?”

“Of course I know it’s illegal,” Jason furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m a State Alchemist.”

Obey the Military, Do Not Create Gold, and Do Not Create Humans. Being a military brat all his life meant he learned these rules as a toddler.

“Then why did you recommend someone for the state alchemist exam who committed human transmutation?”

Jason’s features smoothed over and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He was glad no one else was in the office to see him nervously twiddle with the phone cord.

“Are you talking about that kid,” Jason scrunched up his features trying to remember the name. “Rico?”

“Nico. Nico di Angelo.”

“Right.”

“Yes,” she sighed. “I _am_  talking about him. Are you out of your mind? We’re military! We uphold the laws, and you recommend someone who broke the law that is very explicitly aimed at state alchemists?”

Jason had hoped this conversation would never come up, but Annabeth was excellent at her job. Of course she would find out about the human transmutation. It was stupid of him to think she wouldn’t.

“Did you report it?” It was another stupid thing to think she wouldn’t, but Jason still wanted to know.

“Of course I did.”

“So, he’s in jail?” Jason dropped his hand to his lap, and tried not to glare at the wall. If Nico was thrown in prison after all that had happened to him, then it would be Jason’s fault. Nico wouldn’t have gotten in trouble if Jason hadn’t planted the idea of becoming a State Alchemist in his head.

“No,” Annabeth’s tone was sharp. “I brought the case to high command, and instead of taking action, they gave him a pardon. The entire thing was dropped, and he’s going to be initiated as a State Alchemist in a few days from now.”

Jason felt his entire body relax. That was... Well, for Lieutenant Chase it was probably the most egregious court case she’s ever had to witness, but Jason was glad that Nico wasn’t going to be punished again.

“You never answered my question, Jason. Why did you recommend someone who you knew did something completely immoral and illegal? And, why didn’t you tell me when I called you awhile back about this case? That would’ve made things a lot easier.”

“I wasn’t lying when I gave my reason last time. He’s great at alchemy.”

“Wait, did you recommend him _because_  he performed human transmutation?”

“Yes.”

Lieutenant Chase didn’t respond right away. Jason couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing.

“It’s illegal,” she stressed again. “And you want to applaud him for it?”

Jason felt another “yes” forming in his mouth, but clamped his lips together. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in the law. Obey the Military, Do Not Create Gold, and Do Not Create Humans were all there for very important reasons. Obeying the military created peace. Rebels who protest military actions prove the law with their terrorist actions that carved fear and death into Amestris. Creating gold would destroy the economy, and performing human transmutation was morally wrong.

Honestly, Jason wasn’t thinking about the law when he found Nico di Angelo. Finding a bloody heap of a dismembered person on a cold concrete floor didn’t remind Jason of morals and all the laws that had been drilled into his head. Instead, it reminded him of all the bodies he had seen in the Second Southern Border War. He had always been too late to do anything about those.

He had been late to the di Angelo’s as well. If he had arrived earlier, he could’ve stopped them. The sister had died because of the transmutation, but Jason hadn’t seen her body. He trusted the hollow look in Nico’s eyes as Jason scooped him up to bring him to the nearest medical facility.

In the end, that look was what spurred Jason to tell him about becoming a State Alchemist. Jason had seen soldiers who looked like that in the past. They seemed to have no hope left, and nothing to hold onto.

None of them lived long.

“It’s not that I want to applaud him, and I know what he did was illegal. It’s just that it takes a great deal of skill to do what he and his sister did. Alchemy is more than just putting a circle down. You have to understand the formula for a reaction to spark. The process of human transmutation itself is incredibly complicated, and for Nico to have done that at such a young age shows that he has the skill necessary to be a State Alchemist,” Jason leaned forward to rub at his temples. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

He wanted to give her a better apology, but all he could think of were empty excuses. “I’ve been busy and distracted with my new upcoming responsibilities and transfer” was true, but he still felt like Lieutenant Chase deserved better. Excuses were never accepted at home, and he wasn’t going to start using them now.

“So, you think that the law should be ignored in favor of skill?”

“Well, high command seems to think so, or they wouldn’t have pardoned him. I trust high command’s judgements, so I don’t see a reason to make a fuss.”

Annabeth fell into a silence again. He wondered, not for the first time, what she was thinking when she deliberately let conversations hit a quiet lull. She was the most intelligent person he knew; he wondered often how much she kept to herself when they had conversations like these.

“We need alchemists like him, Lieutenant,” Jason’s voice lowered. “We just finished a war not too long ago, and there’s still tension from pretty much all border countries. Then add in all these rebels and terrorist attacks... The South is still decimated. Reconstruction has been slow, and we don’t have soldiers and reserves to spare. If we want to maintain our status as a world power, we have to enlist strong players. Keeping Nico, despite his crime, is just a step in that.”

Lieutenant Chase sighed into the phone.

“What’s the point of a law if we don’t uphold it?” she grumbled. “I get what you’re saying, and I’m not going to hold it against you. I just don’t understand why they would make something so illegal it gets a special law and is stigmatized as a moral crime against humanity, but then do nothing when we find someone’s committed it.”

Jason didn’t have an answer for that.

If it were up to him, he wouldn’t give human transmutation the strict punishments it has now. From what he saw from Nico’s attempt, trying was punishment enough. It would still be a golden rule, but there would be more warning.

Now that Jason was thinking about it, he wondered why there wasn’t more warning already. Dying and getting body parts ripped off seemed like a good way to educate and dissuade people from doing it. A simple warning could have saved Nico’s sister’s life and his limb.

“Sorry if I’m treating you like a sounding board,” Lieutenant Chase said after another stretch of silence. “I’ve probably been keeping you from work.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jason started fiddling with the phone cord again. “I’m about to head home, actually.”

“Calling it in early?”

“For the next couple days before I transfer, yeah.”

“That reminds me; congratulations on the promotion.”

Jason blinked. Did _everyone_  know already?

“You introduced yourself as Colonel,” Lieutenant Chase said as if she could hear his thoughts. His face reddened. Right. “Nothing gets past me, Grace.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“You and Lieutenant Colonel Zhang talked, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll be able to move in with him.”

Jason was thankful that Lieutenant Chase’s superior, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang, had been looking for a new roommate. He wasn’t interested in continuing to live in military dorms for the rest of his life, and he didn’t want to live by himself anymore. A State Alchemist’s salary could certainly afford it, but he had always wanted to live with a roommate at least once in his life.

Jason’s fingers knotted themselves in the phone cord. There had also been the option of moving back home with his parents, but Jason considered that a last resort.

“Good,” Lieutenant Chase’s smug tone curled against Jason’s ear. “Because that means that he owes me one now.”

“I’m guessing you also found Sergeant Major Ramírez-Arellano a place to stay, too?” Jason wondered how many people owed Lieutenant Chase favors.

“Yeah. With me.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment about fraternization laws.

“That explains her good mood lately. I think she’s more excited about the transfer than I am,” Jason admitted. He hadn’t lived in Central City since before the war. Central was where he grew up, but he liked South City. The idea of moving to Central again had his stomach in knots.

“Oh, she definitely is,” Lieutenant Chase agreed. “I’m taking her out for drinks and a night on the town when she gets here.”

Jason smiled. Sergeant Major Ramírez-Arellano definitely deserved a night out. She was one of the most hard working people Jason knew, and sometimes Jason couldn’t help but think that she deserved a lot better than working under him. If anything, she should be the one with the rank of Colonel; not him.

The conversation tapered out, so they exchanged goodbyes. A wave of fatigue hit Jason as he swiveled his chair to look out the window. The sky outside was growing darker each passing second, and the long day began to take its toll.

It was then that Sergeant Major Ramírez-Arellano opened the door.

 _Reyna_ , he corrected himself. _It’s okay to call her Reyna if it’s not work related_.

Reyna leaned on the door like she’d had a long day. Her face was as sharp as diamond, and dusky as the bourbon whiskey she liked to drink. Her long, sleek braid curled over her shoulder as she regarded Jason with a focused stare.

“I see you were talking to Annabeth.”

“Yeah,” Jason let out a sigh. “I was kind of involved with a case she was working on. Sort of. Very loosely.”

“You mean how you recommended a kid for the State Alchemist exam? A kid who performed human transmutation?”

Reyna was glaring at him now.

“Ah. You heard about that.”

Jason wondered if people criticizing his choice in recommendations was going to be a recurring thing in his life now that Annabeth had unearthed Nico’s past, but then he remembered he had all of two friends. He was two-for-two now.

“Annabeth called me during lunch. Then I overheard you guys talking just now.”

“You were spying on me?”

“The door wasn’t closed all the way. Anyone could have heard.”

From anyone else, Jason would’ve considered that avoiding the issue, but he knew Reyna. He knew what she was actually saying: _You were talking about potentially sensitive information and anyone could have heard you_.

“I see.”

Reyna didn’t break eye contact as she passed her usual workspace to come stand directly in front of his desk. At this distance, he couldn’t ignore the ferocity of her eyes. Jason fought the urge to hunch down and hide.

“Why is today the first time I’m hearing about any of this?”

“I honestly forgot about it.” Well, more like he had actively tried to forget about it and it worked for a while. He felt bad for the omission, but there were a lot of things that Jason kept from Reyna that he was pretty sure would make him look like a wimp.

“You forgot?”

“It was a forgetful thing,” Jason said as he stood up. He towered over her in height, but he still felt smaller. “I didn’t think it was important because it wasn’t a thing until now, anyway. It happened before I met you,” Jason tilted his head as he tried to figure out what to say. “I wasn’t keeping information from you. I promise.”

Reyna’s shoulders relaxed. Jason chanced a smile.

“So, you free for drinks tonight?”

“No,” Reyna crossed her arms over her chest. “I still have some write-ups to take care of. The district I’ve been working with has been a real pain.”

“Residential or...?”

“The officials,” Reyna sighed.

“Ouch,” Jason picked up his trench coat to put it on. “Well, I’m heading out.”

Jason walked home. It was tedious to do after a long day, but he liked the evening breeze. Plus, the military dorms weren’t that far from Southern Command.

When Jason finally arrived, his dorm was as tidy as he left it. It was spartan in design, and Jason didn’t have many personal possessions. Most of what he had was neatly tucked away in boxes already taped and labeled. He usually ate in Southern Command’s communal cafeteria for meals, so dishes and food weren’t something he had to worry about having accessible until he moved.

Jason collapsed onto the couch with a resigned sigh.

That’s when the phone started to ring.

Jason wondered if Reyna had given Lieutenant Chase his dorm phone number, but she had already called him once today. He couldn’t think of who else would call him here, but answered the phone anyway.

“Good evening, this is Colonel Jason Grace speaking. How may I help you?”

“Do you really answer your home phone like that every time?”

The laughter in the caller’s voice rang in Jason’s ears like bells. Jason clutched the phone tight enough for his knuckles to shine white against tanned skin.

“Thalia?”

“Yes, little brother, it’s me.”

Her reassurance made him sit up straighter. Thalia Grace, his big sister. A couple of weeks ago, Jason didn’t know he had a sister. He called his father about it and got a confirmation. Jason thought that was something you tell your kids. It would’ve been a nice heads up to have been told, _hey, you’ve got a full-blood sister out there_  before Thalia tracked him down, but maybe that was expecting a little too much.

“I, uh, how are you, Thalia?”

“Fine and dandy,” Thalia said. Jason imagined her smiling. He never saw her face before, but he always pictured it with a smile. “It’s been very quiet lately. Feelin’ a little restless. How have you been doing?”

“Pretty well. I’m glad you called before I transferred, actually. I’m going to be stationed in Central City in a couple of days. Central Command.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Thalia was silent for a few moments. Jason didn’t know a lot about her, but he knew enough to understand she wasn’t fond of the military. Of course, “not fond of the military” was selling Thalia short. She was sort of a rebel.

And by rebel, he meant terrorist.

Jason had snooped around records to see if there had been any trace of a Thalia Grace when she first made contact. He hadn’t expected a criminal sheet of alchemic activism as long as he was tall. Of course, Thalia had been clean of news for years, and when he read her file she seemed more like a vigilante than a terrorist.

Jason ignored how he would’ve immediately reported anyone else with a similar file.

“Doing anything big there? That’s quite a move, hot-shot.”

“It’s not all that,” Jason murmured and rubbed the back of his flushed neck. “What, trying to get some information out of me?”

“Oh, please,” Thalia’s tone was soaked in amusement. “If I wanted information on the military I wouldn’t need to hit my little brother up.”

“You’re too good for that, right?”

“Naturally.”

Thalia laughed. Jason thought she sounded beautiful.

“I wouldn’t say it’s big, but I’m going to be tasked with arranging soldiers in reaction to domestic disputes in the Central Region.”

Domestic disputes covered a lot more than just terrorist attacks by rebel factions, but Jason didn’t want to point out he was supposed to stop people like Thalia. Or, people who were like the old Thalia.

“Sounds pretty big to me,” Thalia snorted, and then paused before continuing. “Listen, I’m actually in Central right now. I was originally planning to leave soon, but when are you going to be here?”

“Oh,” Jason started. “Uh, a few days from now. I mean, I’ve got a lot of things to do when I get there, but we can... Meet? If you want. I mean, we don’t have to, but I--”

“No, no, I do want to,” Thalia rushed ahead before Jason could turn into even more of a mumbling mess. “How about in a week or so? We can set a specific date after you’ve settled in.”

“Yeah, that’s great,” Jason felt a smile tug at his lips. He felt drained from work, but a new kind of energy crackled inside him. “I can’t wait to see you.”

“Same, little brother. I’m really glad I found you.”

Jason nodded with a “yeah.” He wished he could think of something else to say to keep her on the line longer. Jason felt more relaxed talking to Thalia than he had talking to anyone in a long time. It felt natural. She didn’t expect anything of Jason.

The conversation eventually tapered off and Jason bid her a good-bye. Before that, he made sure to give her his new office’s contact information.

The energy that arose from his conversation with Thalia vaporized as silence hung over his head again. With no other obligations for the night, Jason went to sleep. He would need all the rest he could get to prepare for his transfer, and for his future.


	6. VI. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's first day as a State Alchemist doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly one of the most fun chapters to write. Have fun!

_Central City - Investigations Department_

“Here you go,” Lt. Chase smiled as she handed Hazel a silver pocket watch and an official-looking envelope. “Major Levesque, you are now officially a State Alchemist. The second name that has been given to you is ‘The Golden Alchemist.’ ”

Nico’s chest swelled with pride as Hazel shook Lt. Chase’s hand. If anyone deserved to be a State Alchemist, it was Hazel. He was glad he was here for this moment.

Lt. Chase then turned to him and looked at him like he was a small animal that crawled under her dresser and died. She was clearly still upset about his trial.

Not that he could blame her. Everything about the event was suspicious.

It was held in secrecy, with as little people present as possible. The Führer himself had been present, as well as his top generals – the same men that oversaw the exam. As Nico retold his story, he felt like a wounded animal tossed into a tank of hungry sharks. Every single one of them – even Neptune, who seemed to like him well enough before the exam – looked at Nico like he was a slab of meat for sale, and each of them were deciding in their own ways whether they wanted to go through the trouble of cooking him for dinner.

And, to be fair, that was pretty much what they _were_  doing. Nico was a gamble in more ways than one. But that didn’t mean he didn’t resent every single belittling glance they threw his way. And that was just what they were doing to _him_. The bloodlust they had for _each other_  was so high it made Nico’s skin crawl. He almost felt sorry for Mjr. Gen. Pluto, but then Nico remembered he sabotaged Nico’s exam two years in a row, so all those murderous glares Pluto received almost felt justified.

Nico had been dismissed for the decision-making process, but he could hear intense arguing even standing out in the hall. When he was called back in, he couldn’t believe the Führer was smiling at him.

“ _Nico di Angelo, we’ve decided to waive all charges, so long as you continue to serve the state._ ”

Nico couldn’t believe his years. “ _Are you sure, sirs?_ ”

Jupiter looked furious, and Neptune’s face was unreadable. Pluto’s gaze felt like a mix of anger and pity. The Führer continued to smile pleasantly. “ _Oh, yes_ ,” he assured Nico. “ _Make no mistake, we’ll be keeping an eye on you. But you are a very powerful alchemist, and it would be a crime to let someone like you go over a misconception and an accident. Do you understand?_ ”

Nico nodded. “ _Yes, sir._ ”

His Excellency laughed. “ _Very good. I can rest easy knowing someone like you is on our side._ ”

On his way out of the room the Führer patted Nico’s shoulder, but the grip was so tight Nico flinched before looking at him. His eyes were sharp and piercing, a look that probably held several layers of information, but Nico couldn’t even fathom one of them. The Führer left Nico uncomfortable and confused, and that feeling only grew as each of the generals gave him a similar look as they exited. Pluto was the last to exit, and he paused in front of Nico. His eyes soften just a fraction before saying, “ _I’m sorry._ ” and leaving without an explanation.

Nico was thankful for their decision, but ever since then he’s felt like worms were crawling through his guts. And he was on the side that _won_. He couldn’t imagine how Lt. Chase was feeling, facing him right now.

“Major di Angelo, “ she said in a forcibly even tone as she handed him the watch and envelope. “Congratulations. You are also a State Alchemist. Your second name is ‘The Clapping Alchemist.’ “

Nico blinked. “What?”

The corner of Lt. Chase’s mouth twitched. “The Clapping Alchemist,” she repeated. “I assume they chose that name because of your unique form of Alchemy.”

Nico opened the envelope and pulled out a very beautifully embroidered document, signed by the Führer, officially proclaiming Nico di Angelo the official “Clapping Alchemist.” He glanced at Hazel, but she was staring resolutely forward, biting her lips closed to keep a straight face. He couldn’t help but think he got the short end of the stick.

It must have shown on his face, because Lt. Chase said, “Underwhelming names can be very useful. The second your opponent underestimates you, it gives you an advantage. But if you really want to argue it, you’ll have to take it up with the Führer because the second names come straight from the top.”

Nico looked down at the document and the silver watch on top of it. He was a dog of the military now -- it was only fitting that he had to come when they called him a stupid name. (Though he silently vowed to never let Leo hear the name, or he’d never hear the end of it.) Nico took a breath, looked Lt. Chase in the eye and said, “I have no problems with it, Lieutenant.”

“Very good.” Lt. Chase picked up a couple of files off of her desk. “Both of you will be contacted soon with your first mission. Stay in the area until then.”

Hazel saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am.” Nico repeated the gesture.

Lt. Chase nodded. “I have some business to take care of, so I’ll trust that you can find your own way out.” She walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

Hazel looked between the closed door and Nico and she asked in a low voice, “What did you do to get on her bad side?”

“I, uh, don’t think she liked my follow-up interview very much. “

“Well she liked it enough to pass you.”

“Yeah, well…” Nico rubbed his thumb over the dragon insignia on the pocketwatch.

“Don’t mind Lt. Chase.” The man sitting at the head desk stood and smiled at them. “She has a lot on her plate right now, and she doesn’t always know how to vent her stress properly.”

Nico sincerely doubted his trial didn’t play a part in her bad mood, but he was thankful for the explanation all the same. He really didn’t feel like explaining everything for a third time this week.

The man scribbled something in a yellow-paged notebook before tearing it out and stuffing it in a desk drawer. He slipped the book in his pocket and walked over to Hazel and Nico with an outstretched hand. “It’s great to finally meet both of you.” He shook both of their hands. “My name is Lt. Col. Frank Zhang, head of the Investigations Department.” He had a kind, round face with Xingese features, but had a strong grip. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small business cards. “I know how overwhelming everything can be when you first join, so feel free to call me any time if you have questions or need support.”

“Thank you,” Nico took the card gratefully. It was nice to know there was someone in the department who actually wanted him around.

Lt. Col. Zhang raised his hand to his forehead in salute. “Welcome to the Army.”

Nico saluted without Hazel prompting him this time. He was starting to understand how things were done around here. Lt. Col. Zhang dismissed them, and with the door to the Investigations Department shut behind them, Nico stared at his pocketwatch.

Hazel nudged his elbow. “It’s not going to disappear if you stop staring at it.”

Nico gave her a small smile. “Yeah, I suppose not.” He clipped the chain to his belt loop, and slid the watch into his right pocket. It felt heavy. He was going to have to get used to carrying it around all the time. He turned back to Hazel, “So how does it feel to be working for the State, Ms. Golden Alchemist?”

Hazel giggled. “Pretty good, Mr. Clapping Alchemist.”

Nico groaned. “Aren’t second names supposed to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies or something? What does the _Clapping Alchemist_  even do? Applaud people?”

Hazel laughed. “Well, obviously you’ve got to just build yourself a good reputation. Those rebels will be saying, ‘Run! It’s the Clapping Alchemist!’ with fear in their hearts.”

“Oh, for sure,” Nico said dryly. His stomach growled, and reminded him of a conversation he and Hazel  had a few days ago. “What was the name of that restaurant you liked again?”

“Aunty Em’s,” Hazel said enthusiastically. “I swear, if you can get over the owner’s strange obsession with wearing her snake collection like jewelry, it’s the best place in Central.”

“If you say so. Where is it again?”

She told him, and he wrote it on the back of Zhang’s business card. She shook her head.  “Honestly, I can’t believe you’ve lived in Central three years without going there.”

Nico shrugged. “To be honest, I did a lot of travel—“

“—don’t care!” Lt. Chase’s voice carried through a partially-ajar Archives door. “Any way you look at it, it’s suspicious!”

Nico slowed down, raising his arm in front of Hazel and listening carefully. Was she talking about the trial?

“I know, I know,” came a man’s voice Nico hadn’t heard before. “Calm down, Annabeth. I’m being careful.”

“No – you’re being distant and reckless! Don’t you trust me anymore?”

Okay, it definitely wasn’t about the trial, then. Nico shared an awkward glance with Hazel, and nodded for them to move on.

“It’s not that!” He said. “It’s just—“

Lt. Chase groaned. “Ever since you’ve been promoted, all you’ve _said_  is ‘it’s just’ this, and ‘it’s just’ that! I’m sick of it! Go get yourself killed – see what I care!”

Nico had about half a second’s warning before the door swung open, but he spent it flinching. So the first thing red-faced Lt. Chase saw as she stormed out of the room was Nico and Hazel. The look she gave him was murderous, and he could feel himself leaning in front of Hazel, just in case she decided to act on her anger.

But she just huffed, flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, and walked away as if nothing had happened.

“Anna--” the man stumbled out of the room after her, but only sighed when he saw her retreating back. He rubbed the back of his neck, lost in thought for several seconds before spotting Nico and Hazel. “Oh, hello!” He said pleasantly, turning to them. “I didn’t see you there.”

He was very conventionally attractive, with sharp features and lean muscles, but his most prominent feature was a large scar running from his sandy eyebrow all the way down to his chin. Though Nico hadn’t heard him speak, he had sat next to the Führer at the trial. Back then, his features were stern and focused, but now he was grinning merrily, despite the argument he just had.

“This is good timing, actually,” he said. “I was just on my way to find you, di Angelo.”

“Really?” Nico raised his eyebrows. It sure hadn’t sounded like he had been looking for Nico. “Why? Who are you?”

“Ah, sorry. Where are my manners? I’m 2nd Lieutenant Luke Castellan, the Führer’s secretary.” He offered his hand, and Nico shook it. Hazel looked between them with wide eyes. As Castellan let go he said, “I was thinking we could walk and talk. Does that sound good to you?”

It wasn’t a request. Nico glanced at Hazel and she said quickly, “I think I’ll go order my uniform. Excuse me.” She hastily walked between them, heading the same direction as Lt. Chase.

“Hey,” Nico called after her. “Wanna meet at Em’s in an hour? To celebrate.”

Hazel smiled over her shoulder. “Sounds good! See you then.”

Castellan waited until Hazel was out of earshot and around the corner before saying, “You know, it’s generally frowned upon to date a coworker.”

“She’s _really_  not my type,” Nico assured him, but didn’t think Castellan had any right to talk. Nico’s grip tightened on his document. “What do you _actually_  want?”

“Honestly, I just wanted to check up on you,” Luke said, starting down the hallway. “The higher ups can get pretty scary when they’re serious, and you seemed pretty shaken up after the trial.”

“Yeah, well…” Nico shrugged. “It’s over now. I can’t really complain.”

“ _But_  you still have your doubts, right?” Castellan gave Nico a knowing smile.

Nico wasn’t stupid enough to confess something like that to the Führer’s secretary, so he just kept his eyes forward as they walked.

Castellan just laughed, “I don’t blame you; I couldn’t believe them when I first started either. But those three generals have been like that for as long as anyone can remember.”

“Isn’t it a bad thing for there to be that much bloodlust among the higher ups?”

“I know it’s pretty hard to tell sometimes, but it isn’t actually bloodlust. They just… get really passionate sometimes. It benefits the country more often than not, because his excellency the Führer can see all the available options and pick the best one. The generals would never _actually_  attack each other. Probably.”

Nico raised an eyebrow and said with what he hoped was a teasing tone, “You can’t even say that for sure?”

“I’ve only been the Führer’s secretary for a few months.”

“Mm,” Nico hummed and slipped his hand in his pocket, rubbing the embossed dragon with his thumb. Then he glanced at the document in his hand. “So -- not that I’m complaining or anything -- just between you and me -- who came up with _Clapping Alchemist_?”

Castellan laughed, his scar curving around his cheek. “That was General Jupiter. He mentioned it in passing and it just sort of stuck.”

Nico stared at him. Now, he wasn’t the best at remembering names, but Neptune he saw during the rebel attack, and Pluto was the creeper messing with his test, so that left Jupiter with the stern face and beard. Nico couldn’t even imagine the words ‘Clapping Alchemist’ coming out of his mouth, let alone his brain.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Oh yes,” Castellan smiled. “General Jupiter has a great sense of humor.”

“R..ight.” Nico shook his head. “Is there anything else you wanted to say?”

Castellan turned to face him. “I just wanted you to know it’s okay to come talk to me if you’re worried about anything.”

“Thank you,” Nico nodded politely. “I will.”

He saluted Nico informally and said, “Welcome to the military,” before leaving.

Nico watched Castellan leave, and as soon as he was out of sight, Nico breathed a sigh of relief and shook the nervous energy out of his limbs. He had done his best to break down his old biases against the military before coming here. Sure, he hadn’t had the best experiences with soldiers before, but that was during wartime. Everyone had been stressed and at the end of their ropes. In the end, they just wanted to do the right thing -- no matter what Leo said to the contrary.

“ _I still don’t like you going,_ ” Leo had said at their last tune up. “ _Maybe failing the last couple of years is fate’s way of saying ‘it’s not a good idea, turn back you moron.’_ "

At the time, Nico had been too stubborn to quit trying. But now that he was here and he saw the three generals with his own eyes? Been stared down by the Führer himself? The silver watch in his pocket was feeling a lot heavier than he anticipated. Nico went to grab it again, but his knuckle brushed against something sharp.

Nico pulled out Zhang’s business card and smiled at the address on the back. At least Nico had met Hazel through this mess. Ever since the trial, Hazel’s the only person in the military Nico felt comfortable with. He really should get going if he wanted to meet her at _Aunty Em’s_ on time.

Nico made his way to the street, and started heading in the general direction of the restaurant. At least, he thought he was. He remembered seeing the place a couple of years ago while looking for Piper’s. Maybe he should just ask--

The hair on the back of Nico’s neck stood on end. He gripped the business card tightly as he very purposely crossed the street to his right, scanning the crowd that had been behind him out of the corner of his eye.

Nico wished he had his sword. The bloodlust he felt was worse than when he was training in the mountains -- which was no small feat. Nico licked his lips and continued walking, picking more and more absurd routes to lose his stalker -- including going in the front of a store and leaving out the back after a hasty conversation with a very confused sales clerk -- but they just wouldn’t give up. At some point, Nico had dropped Zhang’s business card, and hoped that the stalker hadn’t picked it up. He didn’t want Hazel getting in trouble too.

He only caught glimpses of the guy, but Nico could tell that he was a man, and a big one at that. Not tall enough to stand out in a crowd, but muscular and carried power like it was his middle name. He was smart, too. He was herding Nico into areas of Central with less and less people.

Nico swallowed. He was going to have to fight. He ducked into an alley and poised his hands for a quick transmutation.

He waited. And waited. Nico peered around the corner. Had he lost his tail?

A damp cloth clamped over Nico’s nose and mouth, and Nico made the mistake of breathing it in. His vision began to spin, and if Nico’s hands hadn’t been so close, he might not have been able to clap them together. But they were, and he did, and a horizontal pillar jut out of the brick wall and hit Nico’s attacker in the head.

Nico took several drunken steps forward, but his legs gave out from under him. He lay sprawled on the ground, mentally screaming for his limbs to move. Only his automail leg responded, and it just twitched helplessly in place. His chin scraped against the sidewalk as he was pulled by his ankles. By the time Nico had been stuffed in the bag, he was unconscious.

= = =

Nico awoke from the sound of his own screaming. When the bat came down again, his right hand felt like it had been doused in gasoline and set on fire. The third time, Nico nearly passed out.

“Hey, that’s no good.” A man grabbed a fistfull of Nico’s hair, twisting and pulling him up to eye-level. “I want you to be awake for this,” he sneered, exposing a row of yellow teeth. “I already had to wait for the drugs to wear off. It’s boring otherwise.”

Nico swallowed, his whole body trembling from pain and nerves. “Why?” he choked out, his eyes darting everywhere.

The man -- his stalker -- covered his eyes with sunglasses, even though they were in some sort of warehouse, and the only light came from a few lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. He had a thick neck and a shaved head covered in scars. Crates of various sizes were tacked against flimsy aluminum walls. Maybe if he--

“Don’t even _try_  to call for help,” the man said, shoving Nico back onto the shipping table. Nico’s arm flopped against the wood and he gasped, clutching at his arm just below the wrist. Tears blinded him again.

“See?” Nico felt a cold, sharp piece of metal press against his neck. “You’re the guest of honor.” the tip of the knife ghosted across Nico’s throat. “Someone really wants you dead, and they’ve made sure we won’t have an audience.”

Nico’s mind raced. Who didn’t like him enough to try and kill him? Was it Pluto? Nico felt a lump in his pocket.

The man laughed at Nico’s expression. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about whos or whys. You should be a bit more concerned about what I’m going to do to you right n--”

Nico pressed his palms together as quickly and as gently as he could, and grabbed the chain strapped to his waist. He gasped through the pain as his new pocket watch transmuted into a knife. He kept the clock part intact as the handle, but pulled all the silver and steel into a triangular blade. He knocked his stalker’s knife out of his hand, and stabbed him in the right shoulder.

Nico may not have looked it, but he was used to fighting large men. He spent the last three years training with a giant. Both of his teachers stressed the importance of being able to fight with his non-dominant hand. He could take this guy.

However, they also taught him to know when to retreat.

Nico pulled his knife out as he jumped off the table. Now which way was the-- He tumbled straight into the concrete. The glass of the watch broke on impact, slicing his palm while his right hand throbbed around fingers bending the wrong directions. Nico grit his teeth and looked behind him. His left leg was gone.

Nico screamed as a boot slammed into his broken hand.

“Do you get it now?” the man asked, knocking away Nico’s makeshift weapon. “You’re gonna die here, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Nico breathed heavily, but his blood was still pumping through his head. He used the blood from his hand to draw a transmutation circle, but his stalker pulled him off of the ground before he could activate it. A knee crushed Nico’s stomach, and he was tossed like a rag doll away from the circle. Then he was kicked repeatedly in the ribs, and once in the nose. Nico heard a sickening crunch from somewhere inside of him, but he was in so much pain already he wasn’t sure what had broken. Breathing hurt, and Nico could taste blood in his mouth. His fingers twitched when he told them to, but his mind was so foggy he couldn’t remember what circle he was supposed to use.

Was he really going to die here? At the hands of some stranger on behalf of a masked man? A metal bat crashed into Nico’s remaining leg, and he wasn’t sure if the sound he made was a whimper or a laugh.

He remembered training in the mountains again. His teacher had decided that the three of them needed to practice fighting handicapped because they’d never know when they’d find themselves disabled. Bianca was blindfolded, Leo’s arms were tied behind his back, and Nico had his legs bound together. Leo had been uncomfortable with the exercise, and convinced Nico to untie him and play hookie. Since losing his leg, Nico thought about that day a lot. Had he completed the exercise, would he have known how to survive this?

The man raised the bat up high above Nico’s head. Nico swallowed and closed his eyes. At least he’d be with Bianca in the afterlife.

A red light flashed through Nico’s eyelids, and the crackle of a transmutation popped in his ears. His captor cried out in pain, and the bat clanked to the floor right in front of Nico’s broken nose. Nico chanced glancing up, and saw the stalker’s arm had been pierced through by a narrow concrete spike. Nico frowned. Where had that come from? He lifted his head just slightly and saw the base of the transmutation was his incomplete circle from earlier. How…?

“You little brat!” the man broke off the end of the spike and turned to Nico furiously. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth!” He pulled back his leg, and Nico braced for impact.

But it never came.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” a shrill voice shrieked.

Yellow sparks danced in front of Nico, pulling the concrete from under him and formed a sharp claw heading straight toward the stalker. He retreated more quickly than the rebels on exam day.

Nico had never understood Tío’s obsession with Leto. Of all the deities to worship, it seemed like a rather silly one. But right then, seeing Hazel haloed by the outside light, it was almost like the sun god was smiling on him. It brought tears to his eyes.

“Levesque -- go check on di Angelo,” a man said. Was it Lt. Col. Zhang? “I’m going to pursue Ares.”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhang ran after Nico’s stalker, gun raised, while Hazel hurried to his side.

“Oh my God, Nico…” she knelt down beside him. She reached toward him, but pulled back. “I’m so sorry we didn’t get here sooner. We’re going to help you, alright?”

Nico grabbed the bottom of her skirt with his bloodied hand. “Thank you,” he whispered through ragged breaths, tears streaming down his face. “Thank you so much.”


	7. VII. Hazel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Hazel waits for Nico to undergo treatment, we meet a couple new characters and find out how she and Frank were able to find Nico in the previous chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're switching to a Friday-only update schedule. Sorry for the inconvenience!

_Central Hospital_

Hazel methodically filled out the stack of papers on her lap. It helped, really. Gave her something to do while Nico was in the emergency room. She filled out everything as best she could and left blanks where she would have to look up information later. Lieutenant Colonel Zhang was out looking for Ares.

Ares. They’d almost caught him. And hopefully Lt. Col. Zhang would come back with good news, but if he didn’t, at least they had gotten to Nico in time.

She hoped they had, anyway. So many of his bones had been broken they had to wait half an hour before an ambulance was able to come and take Nico to safety. Hazel talked to him the whole time but the only reason she knew he had stayed conscious was because he’d periodically whimper in pain when he’d try to talk or move.

It was strange, but the world was moving on. People kept entering the lobby with various states of emergency, and leaving just as fast. Everyone wrapped up in their own problems, the news of the newest Ares attack not yet having been reported. Hazel realized she was spacing out when the ticking of the clock seemed abnormally loud, and she forced herself to focus on her report. She was just starting to make some progress when Hazel the movement of a skirt in the corner of her eye and someone said, “Excuse me.”

In front of Hazel stood the breakthrough of the case. Standing tall with a straight spine and a polite smile, the sales clerk who talked to Nico while he was on the run tucked her ginger hair behind one of her ears. “I was told I could find you here. Does this mean you found that boy?”

“Yes,” Hazel smiled. “Thanks to your help.”

The clerk’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank goodness. So it really was Ares who chased after him?”

Hazel pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’m not sure I’m allowed to say. I’m sure we’ll be releasing a statement to the press soon, though.”

The clerk chuckled, playing with the tips of her hair. “Fair enough.” The girl fell silent, but she didn’t move, her jaw twitching like she wanted to say something else, but wasn’t sure how. Finally, she settled, on, “May I sit down?”

Hazel scooted to the end of the bench so the clerk could sit next to her. The girl’s hands fidgeted in her lap, rubbing her thumb over the nail of the opposite hand. Hazel frowned and asked in a low voice, “Are you in some sort of trouble?”

“What?” she jumped. “Oh, no. Nothing like that. I was just surprised to see you today. I mean, I had heard you had been staying in Central, but it’s such a big city…”

Hazel stared at her. “Are you saying you’ve _heard_  of me?”

“Oh, yes, quite a lot,” she smiled. “Master Hecate mentions you all the time.”

And suddenly it all clicked into place. “Oh! You’re her new apprentice, aren’t you -- Calypso, right?”

The clerk smiled and nodded. “Yes! And you’re Hazel Levesque. It was amazing watching you send out that alchemical pulse to look for that boy. I only wish we had met under better circumstances.”

“Honestly, it was just lucky you were there at all. Calling in the tip, and then mentioning Nico’s leg… I’ve only met Nico a few times before, and while I was panicking I actually forgot he used automail, and that I could track him that way. That offhand comment probably saved his life.”

“Probably?”

“He’s in treatment right now.”

“Oh.” Calypso bit her lip, rubbing her nail again. “Would you like some company or am I bothering you?”

Hazel smiled. “Some company sounds really nice, actually. How have things been going with Master Hecate?”

“Very well,” Calypso nodded. “We’ve been researching plant-based alchemy, and moved into an old house of hers just outside of the city last month. I’ve been working to help us cover living costs.”

Hazel raised her eyebrows. Master Hecate never seemed to be one who wanted to stay in one place for long. Was there something she could get in Central but not anywhere else?

“How did you meet Master Hecate?” Hazel asked. “She told me that she had picked up a new apprentice, but nothing about your circumstances.”

Calypso faltered, looking down to her lap again. “Not to different from you, really. An overbearing parent. A desire to learn. An exit.”

Hazel put her hand over Calypso’s. “I’m sorry. If you ever want to talk…” Calypso looked up at her hopefully. “You can talk to me. I don’t have a stable phone line at the moment, but I have a feeling I’ll be here at this hospital quite a lot the next few months.”

Calypso smiled. “Maybe next time I can bring Master Hecate so you two can catch up.”

Hazel wasn’t totally thrilled about the idea of seeing her old teacher again, but Calypso was obviously still starry-eyed about her rescuer, and Hazel didn’t want to burst Calypso’s bubble with a few cynical thoughts that kept Hazel from fully enjoying the woman’s presence. It wasn’t like Hecate was _dangerous_  or anything, and Hazel didn’t want to be rude. So she said, “Sure. That sounds great.”

Just then, a nurse called out Hazel’s name and told her she could see Nico, even though he was unconscious. Hazel quickly said farewell to her new friend, and rushed to Nico’s side.

What the nurse failed to explain was the awful condition he was in. Sure, the list of broken bones was five times as long as Hazel had expected it to be, but words never really prepare you for seeing the numerous casts and blotchy purple skin. Numerous liquids were hanging from IV’s and hooked into a free spot on Nico’s arm. Hazel was handed a bag full of glass fragments taken from Nico’s hand that she was supposed to give to evidence. The nurse overwhelmed Hazel with so much information Hazel actually had to ask her to stop and repeat herself so that Hazel could take notes.

Hazel sighed as the nurse left, and rubbed her forehead. She was exhausted. She thought that seeing Nico again would ease her nerves, but he almost looked _worse_  than when she had found him. A lot of his injuries had swollen and his casts only accentuated everything that was _wrong_  about him, including his very conspicuously missing leg. Hazel had a hard time looking at him, to be honest. Everything about what happened was so horrible…

Luckily, there were still things to be done. She had to report Nico’s status to Lt. Colonel Zhang and find out what she should do next, both with Nico and the bag of glass. After that, Hazel could fill out the rest of her report with the information that the doctor gave her. So she set out to the hallway to make a few phone calls and Hazel’s stomach applauded the idea that they might almost be done with work. She’d skipped lunch to investigate Nico’s disappearance, and now it was almost dinnertime. But Hazel wasn’t going to let her stomach get in the way of doing everything by-the-book. She wasn’t going to mess up on her first day of service.

Fortunately (or _unfortunately_  since it meant that Ares probably escaped), Lt. Col. Zhang was in his office when she called.

“Thank you for the update, Major Levesque,” Lt. Col. Zhang sounded pretty exhausted himself. “I’ll come pick up the evidence in a couple of hours. Everyone’s out looking for Ares and it’s been a madhouse.”

“I could bring them over to your office myself,” Hazel offered.

“No, no,” the Lt. Colonel said quickly. “I’m sorry to spring this on you your first day, but I need you to stay with Major di Angelo. He’s the first person to survive after Ares marked him as a target. And that puts Major di Angelo in a lot of danger now that he’s survived.”

“You think Ares will try to attack again?”

“I’m just saying it’s a possibility we have to prepare for. You just need to stand guard until I get there with a replacement in a few hours. Can I count on you?”

Hazel’s stomach whined and she prayed to God that Lt. Col. Zhang only heard her say, “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Could you also contact Major di Angelo’s next of kin and automail mechanic? The hospital should have them on file.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re a life-saver, Levesque. Literally. I’m really impressed with how you’ve held up today.”

Hazel let out a shaky breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “Thank you, sir.”

As soon as Hazel hung up the phone she rushed back to Nico’s side, just to make sure he was okay. Luckily, he was in the same condition as she had left him. And he was okay for another five minutes while Hazel got his contact information from the front desk. So Hazel decided it was probably safe to take a few minutes to call Nico’s loved ones. the first number listed was a local Central number, so Hazel called that one first.

“Piper McLean’s translation services, how may I help you?”

“Hello Ms. McLean,” Hazel said, her heart pounding in her throat. “I’m Major Hazel Levesque calling on behalf of Major Nico di Angelo.”

“Well, that’s a scary tone,” Ms. McLean said with a wary chuckle. “What happened?”

Hazel took a quiet breath and steeled her shoulders. “Someone attempted to murder him.”

Ms. McLean gasped. “Is he alright?!”

“He’s alive,” Hazel said. “But he’s in bad shape.”

“Oh, gods…” It sounded like she scooted over a chair to sit down. “Can I visit him?”

“He’s unconscious right now, but you can. We’re at Central Hospital. Tell the front desk who you are, and they’ll tell you where to go.”

“Thank you.”

“Before you hang up,” Hazel said quickly. “In the fight, Nico’s automail was… heavily damaged. I’m supposed to contact his automail mechanic, but the only other phone number we have in his files is for the Sol Clinic in Yuflam. Do you know how me might get in contact them?”

“I, um.” It sounded like Ms. McLean switched the phone to her other ear. “I know his mechanic, but not how to get in contact with him. That number you have for the clinic, the guy there, umm…” She was quiet for a moment. “Helios. Helios Sol. He’ll know how to find Nico’s mechanic.”

“Thank you, Ms. McLean. You’ve been a great help.”

Ms. McLean chuckled. “You can call me Piper. I’ll be over as soon as possible.” She hung up the phone.

Hazel breathed a sigh of relief. That had been marginally better than she expected. Now for Mr. Sol…

“Hello,” a man answered cheerfully. “This is the Sol Clinic, where a single visit is _guaranteed_  to brighten your day. How may I help you?”

“Are you Mr. Helios Sol?” Hazel asked.

“Yes I am. Tell me, what lovely lady--”

“I am Major Hazel Levesque,” she pushed forward. “Calling on behalf of Major Nico di--”

“Oh, God.” The playful cheerfulness dropped instantly. “Already?”

“Already?” Hazel repeated.

“ _The_  phonecall.” Hazel could hear Mr. Sol pick up the phone and move to a new location. Probably to sit. “Every parent that’s ever had a kid in the military dreads it.” He sighed heavily. His voice cracked as he said, “I had hoped…”

“He’s not dead!” Hazel said quickly, her heart pounding a mile a minute. “He’s just injured.”

A chair creaked like he leaned forward. “Tell me in detail.”

Hazel took another quiet breath. “He was targeted by a serial killer called Ares. His _modus operandi_  is dragging his victims to a secluded area and beating them to death. Nico put up a fight, but his automail leg was destroyed and there was only so much he could do without it. He has over a dozen broken bones, and his right wrist was completely shattered.”

There was a long silence of the other end, and it felt very heavy. Finally, Mr. Sol said, “You’re Nico’s friend, aren’t you? This must be hard on you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You called him by his first name.”

Had she? Hazel hadn’t even noticed. Did she do that with Ms. McLean as well? She’d have to work on being more professional. And with that new-found professionalism, she cleared her throat and pushed ahead, “Since automail can take so long to make, we were thinking it would be a good idea to get in contact with his mechanic. I was told you know how to get in contact with him?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll bring him with me when I come to Central.”

“I would still prefer to call--”

“Oh, no, he wouldn’t hear what you had to say, Major. Trust me, he’ll be there. Central Hospital, correct?”

“Yes, but--”

“Thank you, Major Levesque. I’m glad there’s someone like you watching over my son.”

He hung up. Hazel dialed the number three more times to try and get the mechanic’s information, but none of them went through.

She gave a frustrated sigh and headed back to Ni-- Major di Angelo’s room to stand watch. And when that got a bit much, she pulled a chair over next to his door (with permission, of course). The minutes ticked by, somehow even more slowly than before. Hazel was just starting to worry about the possibility of nodding off when she heard heels clicking down the hallway.

A civilian hurried toward Hazel at a speed that probably wasn’t allowed and asked, “Are you Major Levesque?”

“Yes I am,” Hazel stood up and shook the woman’s hand. “And you’re Piper McLean? May I see an ID?”

The woman looked slightly taken aback, but said, “Yeah, sure, just give me a second,” before rummaging around in her purse. She was very pretty, with bronze skin and her hair braided up into a fraying bun. Her dress shirt was twisted and partially untucked. Had she gotten dressed in a hurry?

“How do you know Nico?” Hazel asked.

“We’re friends,” she said absently. “Knew him his whole life. Used to babysit him. He’s staying with me while he’s in Central -- AHA! Found it.” The woman handed Hazel an ID that did, indeed, prove she was Piper McLean. Despite being a few years older than Hazel and in heels, Ms. McLean bounced on the balls of her feet. “May I see him now?”

“Yes,” Hazel said, handing Ms. McLean’s ID back and lead the way into Nico’s room.

Ms. McLean was taken aback by the number of machines surrounding Nico. Ones helping him breathe and watching his pulse -- it had been very overwhelming when Hazel had first walked into the room, and it looked like Ms. McLean was feeling the same thing. Her eyes wandered to his broken nose and the cast covering his shattered wrist.

Ms. McLean took slow, measured steps toward Nico’s bed, but her knees ended up buckling and fell to the floor.

Hazel took a step forward. “Ms. McL--”

“I’m fine.” Ms. McLean held up her hand. “It’s just a lot to take in.” She rested the tips of her fingers on the edge of Nico’s bed. “He looks  awful…. Did you manage to talk to, uh, Helios?”

“I did. He refused to let me talk to the mechanic, though. Mr. Sol said he’d bring him when they visited.” Hazel glanced uneasily at Nico.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Sol is good on his word.” Ms. McLean nodded, and stood up again. “He’s Nico’s legal guardian. The mechanic is his son. Both are going to put Nico first.”

Oh. That explained why he called Nico his _‘son’_.

Ms. McLean looked at Hazel. “Please don’t let them do any drastic treatment before Mr. Sol gets here. I mean, so long as his life doesn’t depend on it or something.”

“I’ll do my best, but I’m just a bodyguard.”

Ms. McLean smiled. “Thank you.” She looked down at Nico. “So… how did this happen?”

Hazel licked her lips and straightened her spine. “Have you heard of Ares?”

Ms. McLean covered her mouth. “The serial killer?”

Hazel nodded. “For whatever reason, he targeted Nico.”

“How did you find him? Isn’t Ares notorious for not letting his victims be found until after the fact?”

“It… It was really lucky,” Hazel admitted. “Just a whole lot of coincidences. Nico and I had made plans for lunch at _Aunty Em’s_ , but he never showed up. After several people reported Ares sightings at once Lt. Col. Zhang was casing the area, and found an alley where it looked like someone had tried to defend themselves with alchemy -- and there was no circle. Lt. Col. Zhang was already suspecting Nico as the victim before one of his men brought him a dirty version of his own business card, where Nico had written _Aunty Em’s_  address on the back. He sent a couple of officers to the address to see if Nico was there or not, but well… they only found me.”

Hazel shifted uncomfortably, and Ms. McLean motioned for her to continue. “I insisted to be taken to the crime scene, and I found myself with Lt. Col. Zhang at a gift shop. The clerk had actually talked to Nico as he was trying to run away from Ares, and had seen Ares follow him out the back of the shop. We still might not have gotten any leads if the clerk hadn’t mentioned Nico’s leg. I specialize in earth-based alchemy, and one of the things I’m able to do is to send out a very subtle pulse through the ground, and it will tell me what minerals are at my disposal and where -- which includes metal connected to the ground. For a while Lt. Col. Zhang and I drove around just trying to find a spot where Nico fit in my radius, but I finally did find something that resembled the signal I got from Nico’s leg. We followed it for a while, but it vanished. That was probably around the time Ares destroyed Nico’s leg. Luckily we had narrowed down our searching area by quite a lot, and it became only a matter of time before we found him.”

Ms. McLean was quiet for several minutes before asking, “What happened to the rest of Nico’s leg? I mean, the parts that weren’t destroyed?”

“It’s in evidence, but very little would have been able to be recycled.” Hazel shook her head and felt the bag of broken glass in her pocket. “What I don’t get is why Ares went through all that trouble. He couldn’t have known that someone would be able to find them through the leg, so why destroy it?”

“I think _I_  know that one.” Ms. McLean grimaced. “Automail limbs are designed to be detachable, so they can be replaced easily if a part breaks. Ares could have just detached Nico’s leg, but Nico would have been able to reattach it and run away. It would have hurt like hell, but he could do it. I’m guessing Ares didn’t want that.”

Oh. Huh. That made a lot of sense. “I see,” Hazel said. “I’ve never known anyone with automail before Nico. Why does reattaching the limb hurt?”

“Automail taps into the nervous system to move, and connecting the real nerves to the fake ones sends a jolt of electricity through the body. It’s like hitting your elbow on the table times a million.”

Hazel winced. “Ouch.”

“No kidding.” Ms. McLean crossed her arms and looked over her shoulder to Nico. “Still… I don’t know how it compares to all _that_.” She sighed. “I hope Mr. Sol gets here soon.”

Hazel tentatively put her hand on Ms. McLean’s arm. “He’ll be here in a few days.”

Ms. McLean’s lips twitched up in a smile. “You don’t need to tell _me_  that. I know better than anyone else how long it takes to get here from Yuflam.” She breathed in through her nose and let out a shaky breath. “Is there anything I can do to help out here? I’m feeling kind of restless and useless.”

Hazel frowned, thinking. “I don’t think there’s anything in particu--” It was at that moment, that Hazel’s stomach decided to make itself known loud and clear. Hazel’s cheeks flushed pink as she cleared her throat and ignored how Ms. McLean wasn’t bothering to hide her smile. “Actually, I just thought of something. It’d really help if you could bring me a meal from downstairs. I’d rather not leave my post.”

Ms. McLean laughed - actually laughed - and said, “Aye, aye. Anything for our troops.”

She walked to the hall, but her hand froze on the doorframe and she gave Nico one last look before sighing and heading down the hall.

Hazel held her arms close and shivered. The room felt significantly colder with only an unconscious person to talk to. Hazel stared at Nico, both desperate to stay by his side and run out to the hall, and she wasn’t sure which one would be harder. Nico really didn’t deserve this. And the worst part was that Hazel couldn’t figure out _why_  Nico was targeted. All of Ares’ previous victims were high-end military personnel -- Nico had only gotten his watch _that day_. How had Ares known? Did Ares even know who Nico was when he attacked him? It sure _seemed_  planned, but…

Hazel shook her head. Maybe Hazel was just overthinking this. Sometimes bad people did bad things just for the sake of doing them, and answers wouldn’t just fall into her lap like it would on the crime dramas she’d occasionally catch on the radio. Nobody’s going to wrap this story up with a neat little bow and call it over. Especially not Nico.

She took a step towards him, tempted to brush his hair out of his face, but Hazel thought better of it. She turned on her heel, headed out the door, and shut it behind her. It was probably rude to eat in front of patients who couldn’t, even if they were unconscious.

Luckily Ms. McLean returned fairly quickly and was able to distract Hazel from her thoughts again. Ms. McLean bought a dinner for herself as well, and pulled a chair over (without permission) to eat with Hazel in the hallway.

“Nico talks about you a lot,” Ms. McLean said casually, breaking up her mashed potatoes with her fork. “He holds you in high regard.”

Hazel blinked. “Is that true, Ms. McLean?”

“Piper,” she corrected Hazel and grinned mischievously. “And yeah! You should have heard him after the exams. _Hazel_  this and _Hazel_  that -- he loved giving us play-by-plays of your match, even though he lost. He really admires you.”

“He was quite strong himself,” Hazel said after finishing a particularly large mouthful. “Honestly, I probably would have lost if I hadn’t known about his strange form of alchemy ahead of time.”

Ms. Mc-- ahem, -- _Piper’s_  shoulders stiffened and she laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, it _is_  kind of strange, isn’t it?”

“Do you have any idea how he does it?”

“D-Dunno!” Piper squeaked before stuffing her face and saying through her food, “I’m not an alchemist!”

Hazel thought Piper probably knew more than she was letting on, but before she could press further about it, Piper swallowed her food (somehow managing not to choke) and said, “So! When did you decide to be an alchemist, Major Levesque?”

“Hazel,” she corrected. If she was on first-name basis with Piper, it should be both ways. “But, actually, for quite a while I didn’t even know alchemy existed. I grew up in a rural town in the East, so there wasn’t much talk about it. But one day I went out riding with my babysitter Zoë Nightshade--”

“Riding?”

Hazel smiled. “Horse riding. My babysitter’s family owned a ranch in our area, and sometimes we would go riding together. And one of those times, we saw something amazing in the city.

“We were browsing in the bookshop -- I was looking for books with pictures of horses -- and out the front window I saw a demonstration. It was only one boy, but he was transforming the ground into statues that glowed and moved.” Hazel giggled to herself. “It’s pretty simple alchemy, really, but I hadn’t seen it before. It was amazing. Before long the military showed up -- because the demonstration was very clearly anti-military, and was probably against the Second Southern Border War -- and they surrounded the boy. But before they could capture him, a girl showed up and slammed her walking stick into the ground. She alchemically moved the feet out from under the men, and gave the boy an escape route. I don’t know if they had known each other beforehand or not, but their teamwork was beautiful.”

Piper giggled and propped her chin in her hand. “Just like how you and Nico took out those rebels.”

Color flooded Hazel’s cheeks and she busied herself with her food. “Yeah, I suppose so… though theirs seemed much less dramatic, if I’m honest.”

Piper laughed. “So, you decided then and there to be an alchemist?”

“No, actually…” Hazel twiddled her fork guiltily. “I mean, they seemed amazing, and I really wanted to do that too, but when I asked Zoë what it was they were doing, she told me it was an abomination of nature.”

Piper frowned. “Really? Why?”

“She’s Ishbalan. Alchemy is against their religion.”

“Ah.” Piper nodded solemnly. “I see. That sounds rough. But you studied it anyway?”

Hazel nodded. “When I got home that day, I told my mother what had happened, and asked why Zoë reacted the way she did. My mother… had very different ideas about alchemy. She told me that some people thought alchemy was bad, but really it was used for the benefit of the people. She was overjoyed that I was interested in alchemy, and encouraged me. Had books on the subject mailed to our house.”

Piper whistled. “I bet Zoë _loved_  that.”

“She didn’t know for quite a while,” Hazel admitted. “Mom only let me practice in the basement, and forbade me mentioning it to Zoë. But once Mom decided I was good enough, she let me start helping people in our town. Only she chose to sell it as ‘magic’ instead of alchemy. She said people could understand it better this way, and alchemy was basically magic anyway, right?” Hazel chuckled bitterly. “Zoë was furious. The only reason she didn’t call us out publicly was because I was still young, and she still somewhat respected us. But there was quite a yelling match in our living room. Of course there was a part of her that was horrified that I had basically condemned myself to damnation, but she did understand our culture had different views about alchemy. No, what she was _really_  angry about, was that we were passing science off as magic.

“I had my doubts about it too, but I couldn’t stand up to my own mother. Zoë explained how damaging it was to call science ‘magic’ and how it didn’t benefit anyone except my mother. Needless to say, Zoë was fired. She was so mad, she ended up stealing one of her father’s horses and skipping town.”

Piper leaned forward. “Did you ever see her again?”

“No.”

“So, you just continued studying and practicing ‘magic’?”

Hazel shook her head. “Zoë opened my eyes. what my mother was making me do was wrong. She tried all sorts of things to get me to do it again: bribery, punishments -- we made a lot of money with our witchcraft, you see, and mother didn’t want to give that up.

“Then, one day, an alchemist came to our little town. And not just any alchemist -- a true master. Her name was Hecate. She offered to teach me alchemy properly. That alone would have been amazing, but she was also giving me a way out. By this time my mother was being utterly _awful_ , and I was willing to take the first exit I found. And it happened to be this wonderful person who--” Hazel swallowed. _’Had an unfortunate habit of experimenting on live animals in increasingly cruel ways to create chimeras,’_  was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say that -- especially with her master so close to Central. “Who could teach me alchemy. I learned how to make and use these circles,” Hazel showed off her golden gauntlet. “From her. And just about everything else too, really.” She smiled sheepishly.

Piper stared at her. “Wow, that’s quite a story. Do you still study with her?”

“No -- I left her care three years ago to join the military academy here at Central.”

“Ah, okay.” Piper set aside her empty food tray. “I was just thinking that Nico would probably love to meet her. He somewhat collects alchemy teachers.”

Hazel shifted uncomfortably. “You think so?”

“Yeah. Like maybe while he’s in the hospital as a pick-me-up or in a few weeks, once he’s healed, as a celebration.”

Hazel gaped at her. “I don’t think that kind of damage can be healed in a few weeks!”

“Oh!” Piper flushed red and said very quickly, “Sorry. You’re right. Totally right. So, there’s no way to get in contact with this Hecate person?”

Hazel sighed. “Actually… I heard earlier today she’s in town. I can probably arrange a visit.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”

“I just…” Hazel floundered for a bit before she came up with, “don’t think Nico would be interested in what she’s studying right now. It’s plants.”

Piper smiled. “Well, I think you’ll find that Nico has a surprising range of interests when it comes to alchemy.”

Hazel smiled awkwardly, but was saved the trouble of responding when Lt. Col. Zhang emerged from the elevator with two other officers behind him. He spotted Hazel and Piper immediately. Hazel set aside her food and saluted him.

He smiled at her and returned the salute. “Good work, Major Levesque.” He turned to Piper, who had also stood, and said, “Good to see you again, Piper. I’m sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances.”

“Frank,” Piper said, shaking his hand. “Hazel told me what happened. Thank you so much for helping save Nico. I definitely owe you a basket of sweets.”

Lt. Col. Zhang chuckled. “It was a team effort.” He turned to Hazel. “If I remember correctly, you have something for me?”

“Oh! Yes.” Hazel wasn’t sure how she had forgotten -- too lost in the conversation, she guessed -- but she pulled the bag of glass shards out of her pocket. “Here.”

“Thank you, Major Levesque.” He nodded and pocketed the evidence himself. “You’re dismissed. Lt. Kahale and Sgt. Brown,” he gestured to each officer in turn, “can take over from here.”

“Thank you, sir.” Hazel nodded and gathered her belongings. But she froze after picking up her tray, and before she had even finalized the thought in her head, she turned to Lt. Col. Zhang and said, “Sir, I would like to volunteer to guard Major di Angelo in the future as well.”

Lt. Col. Zhang gave her a tired smile. “Good. we need all the help we can get.”


	8. VIII. Leo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo finally arrives on the scene! And is immediately distracted by all these hot military people. You'd think at least ONE of them would be average-looking, but nope. Just Leo's luck.
> 
> I might be exaggerating the issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for a smoking character.

Leo didn’t like getting kidnapped. It wasn’t a daily thing or anything, but, whatever, he really didn’t want to go to Central City today.

Leo slumped in his train seat with a loud, resigned sigh he hoped would guilt his Tío Apollo into an explanation of some sort. Tío had arrived in Rush Valley the other night and dragged Leo out of his workshop and onto a train steamrolling its way to Central City. The whole ordeal was more, “We’re leaving,” and less, “Hey, how are you? It’s been awhile my good looking protégé.” The only thing positive Leo could say was that Tío didn’t make Leo pay for the train ticket.

Leo didn’t even get the chance to tell his boss he was leaving. He followed an extremely rigorous schedule under her, and she tended to not take change well. That was going to be a fun phone call later on. Great. Leo shot a glare at Tío Apollo, but it bounced off his sunny exterior.

“Tío, my butt wasn’t made for spontaneous train rides. Seriously, what’s up?”

“We’re almost there, so you’ll see. Your butt can handle a couple more miles.”

Tío Apollo left it at that, so Leo threw his head back, groaned, and hoped whatever they were going to do wouldn’t take long.

When they had finally gotten off the train, Leo’s legs felt like lead as Tío guided him through the city, and into a taxicab.

Leo wasn’t very experienced with cities. He lived in the boondocks for most of his life. Wait, scratch that: he lived in the _mountainous_  boondocks for most of his life. It wasn’t nice sunny fields for miles on end with cute little cows grazing and mooing to their hearts content. No, it was miles and miles of mountains and trenches and very fun for a four year old to play and explore in.

Leo’s first experience with a city had been Rush Valley; Leo almost cried at how very obviously the city was built with mechanics like him in mind. Okay, maybe he did cry a little, but that was totally because he had gotten some smog in his eyes.

Central City felt like an entirely different animal. The buildings were the mountains of this city. Leo still wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he wondered if the skyline was the same. His mom used to say that the mountains of Yuflam looked like they reached for the stars at night. He wondered if city folk thought the same thing about their buildings.

“Close your mouth, Leo. You’re lucky the window’s up or you’d catch some flies.”

“Shut up,Tío. We almost there? As in _actually_  almost not thirty-minutes-ago-you-said-we-were-almost-there almost.”

“Actually almost,” Tío laughed. This time, it was true. Within a few minutes, they pulled up at Central City Hospital. Leo furrowed his eyebrows. This place was military operated. Well, almost everything was military operated in Central City, but it still stood as a point by itself that this was heavy duty military ground. Seeing Tío Apollo hesitate after the taxicab rolled away made Leo pause.

“So... We doin’ this... Whatever this is?”

“Yeah. Let’s go in.”

Tío Apollo sprung up to the front desk. After a few compliments and seeing Tío turn on his trademark smile (complete with shiny white teeth set to “dazzle”), Leo tuned them out. He used to pay attention to Tío’s flirting in hopes of maybe one day learning his secret to making every person within a ten miles radius be in love with him, but Leo’s given up on that dream at this point.

“Let’s go,” Tío Apollo ushered Leo down a corridor. After a few turns, Tío finally slowed down when they reached a corridor that only had two people.

Leo paled when he noticed one was wearing a military uniform.

“Um, Tío,” Leo tried to tug at Tío Apollo’s side, but he ignored Leo in favor of waving.

“Hey! Are one of you Major Hazel Levesque by any chance?”

The shorter one’s hair swished and bounced as she turned around to face them, startled. Tío said Major, so she’s in the military, too? That blows. Looking at the concern in her face, Leo couldn’t help but think she looked nothing less than pretty. Leo’s default mental image of a military dog was an ugly, bulky humanoid dog with no sense of hygiene stuffed into a military uniform. He couldn’t tell if it was better or worse that she was really attractive. It was hard to hate a pretty face.

“Yes, that’s me. And you are...?”

“Ah, perfect timing. I’m Helios Sol! We talked on the phone about Nico a couple days ago, remember?”

“Nico?” Leo didn’t remember Tío mentioning Nico once during this whole trip.

“Oh, good,” Hazel’s full lips stretched into a relieved smile. Leo tried not to stare. “And this must be--“

“Nico’s trusty mechanic, Leo Valdez,” Tío Apollo announced as he threw an arm around and squished Leo against his side. “And, we’d like to see him now, please, so if you could step to the side.”

“What?” Leo swerved his head around so fast that he thought it might snap. “What do you mean, ‘see him now?’”

“Of course. We can all go in,” Hazel gestured.

“Ah, well, I wanted it to just be me. And Leo, too. You know, family only.”

“Wait, Nico’s in the hospital?”

“I understand,” Hazel said. “But, right now, we’re still on high alert, so you’ll forgive me if I go in with you, won’t you?”

“What do you mean high alert?” Leo tried again, but it was futile. Tío Apollo had spent his entire guardianship fine tuning his Ignore Leo brain function. Pretty girls came with it naturally.

“Do I know you?” came from the other guy. Leo forgot he was even there. For being such a big dude, he didn’t have much presence until he spoke.

“Have you ever been injured in the South?” Tío kept his warm smile up, but Leo noticed how tight his posture had gotten. “I’m a doctor.”

“No, I...” The big guy looked like he was trying to do a complicated math problem in his head. “Wait, you... Aren’t you Apollo Sol? The Magic Touch Alchemist?”

“Will someone _please_  tell me what’s going on?” Leo wiggled out of Tío Apollo’s grasp. Apollo’s smile twitched like it was about to plummet as the big dude stared at him, but he finally turned to face Leo.

“Nico’s condition is nothing I can’t handle. You’re here for leg work.”

Leo was pretty sure that if he ran on wires he would’ve short circuited. Why did Tío wait until _now_  to tell him? If Leo’s here to work on Nico’s leg, tío Apollo should have told him before they left Rush Valley. He couldn’t fix Nico’s leg with air. He needed tools.

Tío turned to the big guy. “Ah, yeah. I went by that awhile ago. Not anymore, though. I’d appreciate it if you referred to me by Helios Sol.”

“Oh, um, sorry,” the big guy apologized. “It’s just that I recognized you. I mean... In the Second Southern Border War, my mom was in charge of guarding medical supply shipments, so she was around hospitals a lot. She wrote a lot about you.”

“What’s your name?”

“Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang.”

“Zhang? ... Ah, yeah. I remember an Emily Zhang. That your mother?”

The big guy... Well, Frank, smiled and nodded.

“She was an excellent soldier. I’m glad to see you following in her footsteps.”

“Sorry to break the moment,” Leo cut in. “But, to my newfound knowledge that should’ve been old news by now, I’ve got a best friend who has been hospitalized, so I kind of want to get up on that.”

“I still have to monitor you,” Hazel insisted.

Apollo sighed, and leaned back like he was cracking his back. It was times like these that Apollo reminded Leo of an old man. A really good looking old man with all his sun kissed blond hair, but an old man nonetheless.

“Okay, this is what’s going to go down,” Apollo dropped his smile. “You’re going to let me and Leo in by ourselves. Instead of Nico spending his first year as a state alchemist incapacitated and probably lose the license he worked so hard to get, I’m going to heal him up good as new as you stand out here guarding the door. The Magic Touch Alchemist did not pass through this hospital. The doctors employed here will call Nico’s recovery a miracle of whatever god or gods they worship, or pure damned luck if they worship none. Now, do you want to throw away Nico’s future for the sake of protocol, or are you gonna let me heal him?”

Tío Apollo stared down the two military officers.

The lovely Hazel Levesque still looked troubled, but she wasn’t arguing. She bit her lip, and her gold eyes broke contact with Tío’s. Gold eyes. Who even has gold eyes?

“I’ll be right outside the door,” Hazel sighed, and looked over to Lieutenant Colonel Zhang.

“I have to get back to work. When Nico gets better,” Frank paused. “... _miraculously_ , I’ll question him about the attack, so I’ll be back tomorrow.” Hazel saluted Frank as he left.

“Attack?” Leo’s voice came out a lot more quiet than he intended. He turned to Tío Apollo, but Tío just grinned down at him.

“Like I said, nothing I can’t handle. Don’t worry.”

Hazel stayed outside as the two men went in. The lights were off save a lamp that kept the room dim. Leo’s eyes didn’t have time to rove the room. They were magnetized to Nico’s sleeping form.

Leo tried to hold in his gasp, but it spasmed like he was being choked by the mere sight of his best friend.

The bruises on Nico spotted him like a cow; his skin usually took to a rich olive tone, but it looked like a greyed canvas for ugly purple paint splotches. His face looked like it had been stepped on. Nico’s face usually had the assorted acne breakouts and bags under his eyes, but now it was scraped and beaten. Purple swallowed his eyes and cheeks. Gauze on his nose obstructed whatever damage had been done to him. His arms and hands received similar treatment.

Leo was able to move. He stepped forward until he was so close to the bed he might as well have been leaning over it. He could see the lump of Nico’s right leg, but the covers laid flat where his left should be.

Entranced, Leo reached out and pulled the covers back to see that the leg he had made for Nico was gone.

Did Leo time travel to five years ago? Was he ten years old again where his best friend had been dragged in by some state scum covered in blood with an open wound where his leg had been?

No, Leo didn’t feel ten. He felt less than that.

Nico’s leg was _gone_. Was it taken? Destroyed? Leo had worked hard on that leg. Even though he actually knew what he was doing now that he’s made hundreds of prosthetics, that first leg meant something to him. It was his greatest work as far as he was concerned. He couldn’t be Piper or Apollo who were good with words, but he could make a leg for Nico to stand on. That counted for something then, but now it counted for nothing.

Leo was sure that, somehow, this was all his fault.

This had to be military related... And his missing leg... If Leo had made a better leg, maybe Nico would’ve had a better fighting chance. He had learned so much over his apprenticeship. He should’ve upgraded Nico by now to something better, faster, _stronger_.

If he had convinced Nico to stay in Yuflam and stop trying to become a state alchemist maybe this would’ve never happened. He joked all the time... He was able to hint at how worried he was for Nico’s life behind a twelve inch wall of sarcasm. If he had been straightforward for once, maybe Nico wouldn’t have almost _died_.

“... Shoulders for me.”

Leo’s eyes unglued from Nico’s lack of leg and trailed up to Apollo’s face. Apollo. Tío Apollo was here. They had walked in together. Leo forgot he wasn’t alone with Nico.

“Huh?”

“Leo,” Tío’s voice was soft. Leo recognized it as his serious doctor voice he used with patients who were throwing a fit and needed to be calmed down. Leo didn’t know why he was speaking this way now. It was just them. “Leo, I need you to stay with me.”

“‘m here,” Leo mumbled. He hadn’t meant to mumble. Tío was... Tío was looking at him funny. Like he was worried or something. A surge of panic seized Leo. “I, uh. Just spaced... Out,” Leo tried finding something less lame to say.

_Lame like your best friend_ , he thought to himself. _Lame and beaten and bruised and layingherehalfdeadwithoutalegand--_

“Leo,” Tío tried again. His voice had risen, and he went around the bed to stand next to Leo. Apollo was standing too close to him now. Leo felt like he couldn’t breathe. He was trapped between Apollo who looked concerned and Nico who looked half dead, and Leo couldn’t breathe squashed between the two.

“I’m, um,” Leo’s mouth opened and closed. A joke. Anything. He wanted to say anything to make Apollo quit looking at him like that. Leo tried to look somewhere else, but his eyes would then zoom back to Nico’s unconscious form. “What are we... Doing?”

The silence from Apollo made Leo look at him again.

“This was a mistake. I should’ve waited,” Tío sighed. “I thought you could help hold him down, but... Leo, you’re going to have to wait outside.”

Leo’s brain felt like it was running through waist-deep water.

“What?”

Apollo gripped Leo’s shoulders and began herding him towards the door. His legs felt like jelly and tío Apollo’s grip was solid.

“Hold him down?” Leo was almost to the door. “What d’you--”

“I already...” Apollo trailed off and stopped them. They were so far away from the bed now. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Leo, I want you to go outside. I want you to go _outside_  outside where there’s a lot of space and park benches. I want you to sit there and breathe. You got that?”

“No, I can help,” Leo jerked his head to look over to the bed again. “I can do something. Let me help--”

“No, Leo, right now you can’t help with this.”

Leo felt like his chest was trying to cave in on itself.

“I can help!” he screeched.

“Go outside, Leo,” Apollo’s tone didn’t change. It was still that same doctor soothing voice he used on other people. Leo felt his nerves all being singed at once.

“You brought-- I have to do something!”

“Later. You’ll do something later. I’ll heal him up while you go rest.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Leo felt a surge of fire coursing through his veins. It licked its way up his body and settled in his head until his brain felt like an oven. “You knew this whole time... What happened? Tell me!”

“He was attacked by a serial killer,” Tío Apollo’s words were so blunt that Leo’s rage tripped and plummeted. “His leg was destroyed, and he’s suffered extensive damage to his wrists as well as miscellaneous broken bones. I didn’t tell you when I picked you up because I knew it would halt us getting here as soon as possible. I knew you wouldn’t take it well, but I had hoped you’d be able to pull it together enough to help me in the first steps of my process, but that was shooting way higher than I should’ve, and I apologize. We are wasting time here, now, discussing this. They called me the Magic Touch Alchemist when I was still military, but even I have limits. Leo, go outside. Now.”

Leo didn’t do well with authority. Tío Apollo, his guardian of eight years, was accustomed to this which is why he opened the door and pushed Leo out of the room instead of waiting for Leo to move voluntarily. The door was sealed again, and the hall was brighter than Leo could deal with. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door. He hoped, with all his heart, that he wouldn’t cry like a big baby in the middle of a hospital corridor.

“Is everything alright? How is Nico?”

Leo jumped and turned around. Hazel Levesque stood ramrod straight on the other side of the hall. Concern filled her gold doe eyes, but Leo felt numb looking at her.

“I don’t know. Tío is handling it,” Leo mumbled. His mouth felt dry like he inhaled sawdust.

_Get it together, man_ , Leo thought.

“Tío’s really great at fixing people up, though, so it’s probably all going to be okay,” Leo tried to smile.

Hazel didn’t look reassured.

“So, how do you know Nico?” Leo tried. Her rubbed his neck, and took a deep breath. Breathe in, breathe out. Simple conversation. Nothing deep, just exchanging pleasantries. Leo could do this.

“We... It was a series of coincidences that kept putting us together,” Hazel shrugged like it was no big deal, but her eyes were trained on the door that led to Nico. “We took the state alchemist exam together.”

“Ah, right. Military.”

“That a bad thing?”

“Depends,” Leo tried for a smirk. It was a lie, though. The military was full of dogs that Leo would rather be put down. Being military is a bad thing no matter how Leo looked at it. They cause nothing but grief and destruction, and small time common folk like Leo usually got the brunt of it. His childhood was spent being harassed by soldiers who forced their ways into his homes. The soldiers, drunk or sober it didn’t matter, roughly told Leo that he was doing his job as an Amestrian citizen by giving up his bed and room to a soldier while the war raged on. Leo didn’t feel like that was a job that should have been expected of him, but he was still forced to sleep on the floor out of the way as soldiers commandeered his home.

Leo felt the same hatred of soldiers bubbling inside him when he realized Hazel was a state alchemist. He was usually vocal about his hatred, but he couldn’t muster any rants or insults tonight. Maybe it was because Hazel was in civvies, or because Leo realized just how useless he really was when it came to helping a friend, but either way the fire in him had been snuffed out for now.

That was when Nico’s scream pierced the night.

It was muffled by the door, but it still felt like a blood curdling howl. Leo was pushed aside as Hazel rushed into the room and slammed the door shut behind her. Leo’s feet were rooted in the hallway.

Hold him down... Right.

Leo had seen Tío Apollo do alchemy a few times. The man usually relied on medicine, for some reason, but every now and then something serious came up and he would utilize the skill that gained him his second name, The Magic Touch Alchemist.

Leo had made fun of his guardian the first time he heard that name. It was so... Non-threatening. State Alchemists’ names were supposed to strike fear into their opponent’s hearts, but Leo had felt like giggling every time he heard “magic touch.”

Then Leo saw Apollo save a life.

The patient was a soldier. Their arm had been cut off from some military mishap, and Leo felt woozy just remembering his eight year old self staring directly into the open wound. At the time, knee scrapes and small cuts from playing in the mountains were his life, not gaping wounds where limbs were supposed to be.

Leo didn’t remember a lot of the details. The soldier was dragged there by his buddies. They had trailed blood from the door to the table where the lump of a soldier was dropped for Apollo to make quick work of him.

He remembered the wound, and watching Tío Apollo’s alchemy bathe the room in light.

Leo would never forget the screams that were torn from the man’s throat, and the way his buddies held him down. Leo could have sworn he heard the man screaming for hours, but it was just for a few minutes. When Leo asked for an explanation, Tío said that it was just the initial healing that caused pain bad enough to scream. He went into a lot of alchemic jargon that didn’t make sense to an eight year old Leo, but it was something about using the body’s own resources to reconstruct itself.

Tío Apollo also mentioned there was a way to do it in seconds and completely bypass any potential pain without administering drugs. When Leo asked how, Tío had ordered him to scrub the bloodstains from the patient off the floor.

The night was silent. This night, not the night of the soldier screaming on the table.

Leo’s eyes fluttered open. The windows at the end of the corridor were pitch black now instead of dusky. How long had he been here sitting against the wall next to the door? When did he sit down, anyway?

When he opened his eyes again, tío Apollo was squatting right in front of him.

“Ah, so you rise again, little Valdez. I was getting ready to send out for a handsome prince to come awake you with a true love’s first kiss.”

“Funny,” murmured Leo. “You’re a hilarious piece of sunshine in my life, you know that right?”

“I try. You know you’re not supposed to sleep out here, right?”

“They can move me if they want,” Leo rubbed his face to try to wake himself up. Nico. “How is he?”

“Fine. Beautiful lady at his bedside, and significantly less bone broken-y. It’ll probably take another few weeks to be released from the hospital and then he’ll still need some rehab recovery time for his hands, but I’m absolutely amazing enough that he should have a near full recovery when that’s all done.”

Leo held in a comment about how Nico would probably prefer a beautiful man at his bedside than a beautiful lady. “‘Near full recovery?’”

“He’ll have some trouble making his hands do fine details. Writing and stuff,” Tío admitted.

“So, he’s going to have scrawly doctor handwriting like you?” Relief spread through Leo like wildfire. Nico was okay. Well, he was going to be okay after some time. Mostly.

“I don’t think he’ll get that bad.”

Leo laughed, but it felt unnatural in his throat. Even though he was relieved that Nico was in the clear, he still didn’t feel happy about it. No amount of recovery would erase that it had happened. Nico had almost died and Leo was absolutely useless to do anything about it.

Leo was going to have to do better next time. Make a better leg. Watch his idiot friend more closely. He wasn’t going to let this happen again.

“I feel tired,” Leo murmured.

“Alright,” Tío Apollo helped Leo up, and kept a steady arm around him. “Let’s go catch some Z’s.”

= = =

Leo wished coffee did as much for him as it did Apollo. His Tío nursed the stuff like it was liquid gold all through the morning and was perkier than a salesman working on commission. Coffee made Leo sluggish and less efficient. He was pretty sure the world was just playing an elaborate joke on him with that one.

Leo couldn’t get back to sleep after he left the hospital. He was tired, but his brain wouldn’t shut off. The more time passed, the more his thoughts whirred and buzzed in his ears like tinkering cogs. Leo had kissed sleep goodbye for the night with an irritated huff. He didn’t have any of his tools to help him pass the time until it was socially acceptable to go to the hospital again, so he settled on scribbling automail leg designs until the sky started to lighten.

Apollo had said last night (well, this morning when the sky was still dark) that they would go to the hospital again later, and they’d bring Piper, too.

Leo didn’t want to wait until later. When the sun was above the horizon, he caught a taxicab to the hospital.

Two military guys were standing in front of Nico’s door. Leo rolled his eyes. Great, more military. Leo’s skin prickled as he watched them handshake like it was a great idea to have a conversation in front of a patient’s room.

Leo advanced on them, ready to knock them aside if he had to, but stopped when he recognized them.

That big guy... Frank whatever. He had a small smile on his face, but it looked as bullish as it did last night.

It wasn’t Frank who made Leo’s blood boil.

The other military man... No, that’s not him, no... But, he was tall and tan and had the same short cropped blond hair, no, no, nononono--

“What are you doing here?” Leo bounded forward until he was almost in between the two men and stared up at the blond. There was a noise of complaint from Frank, but Leo didn’t care. He was staring up at surprised blue eyes, and, yes, it was him; he had that same stupid little mouth scar.

“I’m sorry, but do I know you?” said dumb mouth scar military guy. He looked genuinely apologetic as if he had forgotten an old friend. Leo felt his rage waver, and then burst again when he remembered where they were.

“We met forever ago when you brought my half-dead, bleeding, and dismembered friend to my doorstep. Then you convinced him to ruin his life by becoming a state alchemist which led to him almost getting killed by a serial killer, but, hey, it was no big deal or anything. I forgot your name, too.”

Leo straightened out and tried to stand taller, but he still barely came up to the man’s chin. He gaped at Leo like a fish.

_Good_ , Leo thought. _Maybe you’ll realize how much of this is your fault._

This guy, well, he wasn’t the source of it all, but he was the source of Nico joining the military, and that led to the attack. Leo felt his rage climb higher and higher the longer he stood there staring at him. Leo might’ve messed up by letting Nico go, but this guy was the reason he left.

“I’m Colonel Jason Grace,” Jason extended his hand for a handshake.

“Leo Valdez,” Leo acknowledged him with a single nod and shoved his hands into his pockets. Jason kept his hand outstretched briefly before letting it drop to his side.

“Um,” said Frank. His eyes shifted between Jason and Leo. “We’ll talk later?”

Jason nodded, and Frank left. Didn’t Frank say he was going to talk to Nico this morning? Leo wondered if that meant Nico was awake already. He wanted to get in there as soon as possible, but Jason was lingering.

_Guess I have to take out the state trash first._

“So, don’t you have super important duties to get to or something? Or does the military pay you guys to just stand around?” Leo smiled large enough to show off his teeth as he huffed. “Glad to see those taxes the citizens pay are going to top-notch hard workers like yourself.”

“I heard about what happened to Nico,” Jason said. “I haven’t been in town long, but I figured I’d try to visit.”

“Ah, good to know you took some time out of your super busy schedule to come. You visit Nico a lot?” Leo eyed Jason up and down. He was trying for intimidating, but it was hard to be intimidating to a guy who looked like he could swat Leo like a fly.

“I haven’t seen him since I last saw you.”

Leo’s eyebrows furrowed as he glared up at Jason.

“And you just happened to hear about the attack?” Leo’s words were slow, but crafted. Considering the state of Nico’s bruises last night, the attack must’ve happened two or three days ago. ‘News travels fast,’ and all that junk, but this is the second time he’s met Jason Grace with Nico in the other room recovering from a near death experience. ‘Sketchy as hell,’ didn’t even cover it.

“I heard about it from some acquaintances. We have some people in common.”

“You sure do show up at convenient times, don’t you?”

Jason quirked an eyebrow at that. “Not really.”

“Yeah, you really do.”

“It’s more bad timing than convenient.”

“Is there a difference?”

Jason was silent for a few moments. “I guess not.”

Leo frowned. His rage lowered to a simmer the longer he talked. He hoped... Well, he had hoped for something more than this. It was easy to bicker with people and volley the verbal ball back and forth. Talking to someone who just watched the ball drop without even an attempt at slinging it back wasn’t something Leo was used to.

“Well, I’m going in now,” Jason announced awkwardly as he went through the door. Leo rolled his eyes and followed after him. He didn’t feel comfortable leaving this guy alone with Nico.

Unfortunately, Nico was not awake. On the bright side, he looked so much better that Leo almost let loose a _real_  smile for the first time since he got here.

All of the casts were replaced by thin bandaging, so Nico no longer looked like he was drowned in plaster. The heavy bruising had toned down to earthy browns. Nico was still a little on the gray side, but his skin had recovered some vibrancy.

Tío Apollo really had worked a miracle.

Jason didn’t say a word. He stood by the bed with impeccably straight posture and hands laced behind his back. Leo wondered why he was bothering with that military posture in a room with an unconscious kid and, well, Leo.

“Have you been by before now?” Jason asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Leo answered. An odd calm washed over him as he saw Nico breathe evenly and looking healthier than he did last night. “Me and Tío.”

“When I was told what happened, I was expecting...” he trailed off. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Imagination is always overactive.”

Leo snorted. ‘Imagination is always overactive’? Leo was about to make a quip about pretentiousness but stopped when he realized what Jason had just said. “Wait, you know what happened? The details, I mean.”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces from people.”

“So you know who did this?”

“Yes.”

Leo bit his lip. Tío Apollo didn’t tell him what happened, and Leo was curious, but he also didn’t want to ask this guy for information. It was bad enough he was sharing breathing space with this guy.

“Look, if you or...” Jason trailed off before reaching into his pockets. “If you guys ever need anything, here’s my information.” He fished a business card and a pen out of his pocket. Who keeps those things on them? Leo watched Jason scribble on it, and handed it to Leo. The card had his information, and a number for someone named “Sgt. Mjr. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano.” Leo was tempted to rip it up right in front of Jason’s face.

“Pretty sure me and Nico would do a lot better without anymore of your interference.”

“Just in case,” Jason sighed. “I have a meeting to get to, but, uh,” Jason paused. Leo really hoped he wasn’t going to say he would be back later when Nico would, hopefully, be awake. He had enough of his dumb scar mouth face for one day. “I’ll see you around.”

“Hopefully not,” Leo mumbled as Jason left the room. Leo couldn’t see a trashcan nearby, so he pocketed the stupid card with intent to throw it away later.

Now that the state trash was gone, Leo could get to work. He pushed the covers off of Nico’s left leg. Last night, Leo hadn’t been thinking right. His first priority should’ve been to check the baseplate that serves as the conduit between flesh and steel. If that was damaged at all, Nico would have to go through another painful hell just to get a new leg. Leo prayed to God that wouldn’t be the case, so he pulled an abandoned stool over so he could sit and inspect.

After a good deal of time, Leo confirmed it was still completely functional. Whatever had happened, well, nothing with the baseplate had been tampered with. It was just the actual steel appendage they messed with.

No, destroyed. Leo hunched over in his chair and sighed. He was going to have to make a whole new leg from scratch. Nico was going to have to wait awhile before he could stand up on his own two feet again.

That was when Leo was attacked.

Arms circled around his shoulders and squeezed. Leo jolted up, but then the smell of strawberries and summertime hit him. He laughed as brown choppy hair tickled his cheek.

“You scared the hell out of me, beauty queen!”

Leo turned around as Piper loosened her hug. Her face was stretched into a smile that lit up her face. Leo found himself smiling, a true happy tug on his lips, as he stared at his childhood friend.

“Well, I called your name,” she swatted Leo’s arm. “It’s not my fault you don’t listen.”

“Right, right,” he couldn’t help but agree. It had been so long since he had seen Piper that he forgot how much he missed her.

“He looks so much better,” Piper leaned forward and tucked some of Nico’s matted hair behind his ear. “I saw him the other day... I was so worried.”

“It’s a divine miracle,” boomed Tío Apollo’s voice. He had just entered the room with a cup of coffee in hand, and strode over to the other three with a dazzling smile. “Leto must be looking down and blessing us with such good fortune!”

Leo snorted.

“So, is Leto gonna do some more divine miracles, or are we going to huddle up and stare at Nico until he wakes up?” Leo looked up to see Tío nursing his cup.

“Hmm, no, I don’t think Leto’s going to be doing any more blessings today,” said Tío Apollo. “Nico’s body probably wouldn’t be able to handle it very well. That’s just a feeling I’m getting as a devout follower, though.”

“Right. So, I guess we’re just waiting here staring at Nico, then.”

“I have snacks,” said Piper.

“I can always count on you, Pipes,” Leo grinned as Piper pulled out tupperware full of goodies. Leo never took Piper as a cook, but he wasn’t going to question it when the lid opened to reveal a lofty delicious aroma of baked goods.

The bread was warm in his mouth, and it reminded Leo he hadn’t eaten since he arrived in the city. He hadn’t felt even a tinge of hunger this entire time, but now that he was staring at puffs of flaky goodness, he felt like he could devour a truckload of these things.

“Well, I’ll be back later,” said Tío.

“You’re leaving?” Piper’s voice was muffled by the pastry stuffed in her cheek.

“I don’t want to stay here for long periods of time.”

“You’re completely paranoid, Tío,” Leo laughed.

“Excuse me?”

The voice came from the door. The three of them turned to see the door ajar to reveal a woman. She was wearing a military uniform. Great, more state trash. How many more uniforms was Leo going to have to endure waiting for his best friend to wake up?

Tío Apollo shot a look to Leo and Piper that seemed to go, _See? Totally justified in my paranoia_.

“I’m Lieutenant Annabeth Chase,” Annabeth smiled at them. “Are you friends of Nico?”

Leo had to crane his head up to look Annabeth in the face. She wasn’t the size of Jason Grace, but she still had a good five inches on Leo. In fact, she and Jason had a lot in common; both were tall, blonde, tan, and completely attractive to an irritating degree. Were there any mediocre looking military or was Leo doomed to interact with a sea of people who looked like they were magazine models?

_That big guy Frank wasn’t all that great,_  thought Leo. _Although, I can definitely see the appeal since he had really broad shou-- stop it, stop it, stop it._

Leo stuffed more pastries in his mouth.

“We’re family,” Tío Apollo corrected.

“It’s good to meet you,” Piper shot forward and held out a hand for Annabeth to shake. “Nico’s said a lot about you.”

Annabeth’s smile twitched. “Has he?”

“Does Nico talk about anyone else by any chance? I’d like to at least be prepared for how many more state scum are going to walk through that door,” snorted Leo.

“Now, now,” Tío patted Leo’s shoulder before clawing it in a vice grip. “Play nice.”

“We know I’m incapable of that, Tío.”

“ _Well_ ,” Annabeth’s eyes bored into Leo. She seemed nice two seconds ago, but the _state scum_  comment hardened her like a bird of prey. Leo fought the urge to look away from her stare. It wasn’t working out too well. “I just wanted to ask you guys a few questions. Is that alright?”

“Are you investigating the Ares case?” Tío Apollo asked. Annabeth’s glare softened when she addressed looked over to him. Great, add this Annabeth woman to the list of pretty girls who hate Leo. It’s a pretty extensive list after fifteen years.

“No, this is for a different case. It’s just standard State Alchemist inquiries. Although, if you have any information on Ares, I can take it to Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang. He’s the one in charge of that case.”

“No, that’s okay. I don’t have any information about Ares, unfortunately.”

“Ah, I see. So, you said you’re family; Are you Nico’s legal guardian? You’re, uh, Mr. Tío, right?”

Tío Apollo blinked. “Yes, I am Mr. Tío.”

Leo almost choked. Tío was a familial term in his native language, and it was the equivalent of “uncle” in the common tongue of Amestris. Even though his mom died and he lost his main conversation partner, bits and phrases still cropped up in Leo’s speech. It wasn’t until Amestrians who looked like Annabeth mistook it as Tío Apollo’s first name that he forgot he was usually one of the only people in the room who actually spoke the language.

“And, yes, I am his legal guardian,” Tío Apollo finished with a flourish and a bit of a bow. “I’m on my way out, though. Busy work day, you know how it is. I can answer some quick questions, though.”

“We can answer questions instead,” Piper bumped her hip against Leo’s shoulder. “Tío’s a super busy man.”

“I am,” agreed Tío Apollo.

“Both of you...?”

“Are Nico’s family as well,” finished Piper. Annabeth had her eyebrows scrunched together like she wanted to deny that claim. Leo couldn’t blame her. In Leo’s experiences, people thought of family as a blood-only thing too much, and Piper was way too pretty to be blood related to Nico or Leo. Plus, the three of them didn’t have a single physical trait in common besides being on the scrawny side.

“Well, if that’s settled, then I’m off!” Apollo did some kind of weird salute gesture before bolting out the room. Leo hoped to one day get to Apollo’s level of feigned eccentricity. Annabeth still didn’t look like she was happy with the situation, but her features smoothed over when she addressed Piper again.

“I didn’t catch your names...?”

“I’m Piper; Piper Mclean. I run a translation service, and Nico has been living with me for the past few years if that means anything. I’ve known him since he was a baby though. This mean guy,” Piper hip-checked Leo’s shoulder again. “Is Leo Valdez. He’s the repair boy.”

“Mechanic,” corrected Leo.

“Is everything alright with Nico’s license? I thought he had finished all this interview and checkup stuff once he was awarded his title and watch.”

“It never actually ends,” Annabeth shrugged. “As far as I know, he’s still in the program.”

Annabeth walked closer to them, and surveyed Nico’s sleeping form.

“He looks a lot better than I heard about,” said Annabeth. After a few moments, Leo noticed she was staring at where Nico’s stump was exposed. He pushed the covers back over Nico’s body.

“The doctors of Central City are pretty amazing, aren’t they?” Piper sat down on the edge of Nico’s bed. It squeaked, but Nico still refused so much as a groan in recognition that he had three people hovering and having a conversation over him.

“They do their job,” Annabeth agreed. “Piper? You said you’ve known Nico since he was a baby?”

“Yeah. I used to baby-sit him and his sister when they were really little. And, Leo here,” Piper slapped Leo’s shoulder. “He and Nico were terrors together.”

“You thought we were cute don’t deny it.”

“Bianca was cute. You two were little trolls I had to hover over to make sure you didn’t break everything,” Piper huffed.

“We just wanted to make sure you got your money’s worth,” shrugged Leo. Piper sighed.

“Did you ever meet Mr. di Angelo, Piper?”

“There isn’t one. I mean, I met Bianca and Nico’s father, yes. It was their mother, Maria, with the last name di Angelo.”

“Do you know their father’s name?”

“Hades. That’s what their mother called him. I don’t know his family name, though.”

“Do you know?” Annabeth’s sharp gray eyes turned to Leo.

“McAssface? Jerksmith? I don’t know. I don’t remember the guy.”

Leo wasn’t interested in talking about this guy even though he knew a few things about him. Yeah, he was Nico’s dad and family and all that fun stuff, but Leo didn’t think the guy deserved the title of “dad” or “family.” As far as Leo was concerned, Hades left those titles the moment he didn’t bother to look back.

Annabeth wasn’t impressed with his suggestions. She turned back to Piper. Good. Leo didn’t want to answer anymore questions anyway.

“Do you know anything else about Hades? His features?”

“Well... I don’t remember a whole lot. I was eight by the time he left.”

“Anything at all is helpful. Please.”

“Um, well, I do remember that he was tall. Really tall. I mean, everyone was tall to me back then, but he still towered over everyone else. He had the same nose as Nico... Actually, Nico looks a lot like him. I’m not sure I can give a better description besides an “older looking Nico.” Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Annabeth sighed and offered a small smile. “You’ve been a great help.”

“Is there a reason you’re interested in Nico’s father?”

Annabeth considered the two in the room, her eyebrow raised. Leo wondered if her work was oh-too-important to share with a bunch of civilians.

“During Nico’s follow-up interview, Nico mentioned his father left behind a bunch of research,” she paused here. “Nico and his sister based their theories on a transmutation he told me about on that research. I want to know if Hades succeeded. Or... Attempted.”

The stool’s metal legs screeched under Leo’s haste to stand up. Annabeth didn’t seem surprised by his reaction. She observed him; Annabeth’s stare was as intense as her stormy gray eyes.

“What?!” Leo couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe-- “He never said anything about that!” Leo ran a hand along his jaw and ears like he could scrub what he just heard away. Leo tried to compose himself, but the simmering rage just up like it did when he first saw Jason Grace this morning. “I can’t believe he... Of course he did,” Leo bit out. “Figures he learn something dangerous from a state scum.”

“Excuse me?” Annabeth leaned forward.

“Leo means Nico’s dad was a state alchemist,” Piper turned to Leo. “Leo, sit down.”

Leo let loose a deep aggravated sigh as he sat down again. His fingers and legs itched to do something. Leo missed not having his tools around.

“Are you sure he was a state alchemist?”

“Positive,” Leo grumbled.

“It’s definitely true. He had the pocket watch to prove it,” Piper cracked a grin. “Nico used to like to steal it a lot. He’d bite it or hide it. I had to chase him all over the house and yard to get it back,” Piper eyed Leo. “You used to try to take it apart. You were a mechanical genius, even back then.”

Leo tried not to let “mechanical genius” go to his head, especially since it was an obvious ploy to help cool him down, but it did.

“Did you ever try to find him? Check Southern Command’s registry?”

“No. Bianca and Nico probably did. They tried finding him after Maria died. Especially Bianca,” Piper’s grin fell. “She really did want to find him, but they never did.”

“Good riddance,” Leo bit out. He stood up again. “This was absolutely fun, and by fun I mean terrible, so I’m gonna go outside or something for a little bit. If Nico wakes up before I get in and gets huffy I wasn’t here to welcome him to the world of the living, then tell him he sleeps like the goddamn dead and I was here all morning. I’m out,” Leo heard Piper tell him to wait, but he was out the door before anyone could stop him.

He was tired to seeing military uniforms. He was tired of talking about people who didn’t deserve people’s time and concern.

It was bad enough Leo didn’t find out about the human transmutation until Nico was dismembered and Bianca was dead. Leo never did get that. They were supposed to be family, and yet they went and did something as stupid as human transmutation without saying a single word.

They used their teacher, as well. Leo thought they were all continuing their studies and getting better together after their first pair of teachers had left. He didn’t know Bianca and Nico were trying to get good enough to try and do human transmutation. One of the first things Teach hammered into their skulls was about the laws of alchemy. She called human transmutation an abomination and the worst disruption of the natural order of the world an alchemist could possibly attempt.

Then again, she had done it, too, hadn’t she? She was the first alchemist Leo ever saw do clapping alchemy. He had been so amazed at the time.

Leo wasn’t sure how he’d react if he ever saw Teach again. He didn’t care that she had done it. She had her own life to live and her own mistakes. What Leo was concerned about was the fact that she could’ve told them the truth and stopped Bianca and Nico’s dreams of human transmutation. Bianca might have still been alive.

Leo found his way outside. He leaned against the hospital’s wall for a moment and soaked in the hazy outside air.

There were too many people to blame for everything that’s happened. Leo felt like he was drowning in the mistakes of the past.

“Hey, do me a solid and spare a cigarette?” Leo called to a patient smoking a few yards away. “I’ve got,” Leo rummaged in his pocket. “10 cenz?”

After the transaction, Leo occupied a spot on the bench and took a drag. It was still morning despite all that’s happened, and he knew it was only going to be a long week from here. Nico needed a new leg, and Leo was going to have to spend several sleepless nights building it.

_Crap_ , Leo sighed out a puff of smoke. _I still gotta call Boss Lady. She’s probably already angry as hell I’m not there_.

Leo closed his eyes and hoped his boss wouldn’t fire him.

He’d still have Nico as a client if he got fired, at least. Leo laughed, bitter and weak, from the sheer incredulity that Nico’s botched attempt at human transmutation provided Leo with good income. He took a few minutes to finish his cigarette before walking back into the hospital. He prayed the day would end better than it started.


	9. IX. Annabeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth confronts Mjr. Gen. Pluto about Nico di Angelo.

On the first day at the military academy, one of Annabeth’s instructors told her that soldiers don’t have the option to quit in the middle of a battle. The speech didn’t change her life or anything because Annabeth thought it was a fairly obvious point.

Still, she thought about it from time to time.

“You’re sure about this?” asked Reyna. Her ink black braid bounced with every step they took. Annabeth didn’t plan for Reyna to walk with her, but she would be lying if she said it was unwelcome.

“I wouldn’t do this over a half-baked idea.”

“I don’t doubt you’ve thought it through. I’ve been your sounding board for the past few weeks,” Reyna sighed and stopped walking, so Annabeth did as well. They stopped a hall’s length away from Annabeth’s destination. “I just want to make sure that you think talking to him is a good idea.”

Annabeth gazed down the hall at Major General Pluto’s office.

“I do,” Annabeth murmured.

Reyna was silent. Her eyes were trained on Annabeth’s face with a slight pout to her lips.

“What’s with that look?” Annabeth asked.

“I know a lot is going on,” Reyna started. “With Luke and--”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Luke,” Annabeth snapped. She immediately regretted it when she saw how tight Reyna’s lips snapped together. “I’m sorry. I just... This isn’t about him. Even remotely.”

“I know that this isn’t _about_  him,” Reyna defended. “This is about a lot of things, and all those things agitating you,” Reyna raised her defined eyebrows at Annabeth as if she expected Annabeth to argue. Annabeth would have if she hadn’t just snapped and proved Reyna correct. “I know you. I know you like puzzles. I also know you like puzzles to distract yourself with.”

Annabeth sighed.

“Okay, I may be more prickly than usual,” Annabeth admitted. “But, this isn’t a distraction. Maybe a little at first. I was...” Annabeth paused. She didn’t want to say ‘bored,’ but it was true. Between Reyna being stationed at Southern Command for so long, and the general monotony of cases brought to her in a post-war state, she hadn’t felt a challenge in a long time. “It doesn’t matter. I feel like this will be the right thing to do.”

Annabeth hoped Reyna wouldn’t ask for an explanation beyond that. Truth be told... Annabeth didn’t have a fully thought out explanation as to why she felt the way she did. Usually, Annabeth had at least three objective facts to pull out when people questioned her motives. It helped keep her thoughts organized.

Here, her reasoning was simple: she wanted to do it. She wanted to question Major General Pluto about her suspicions, and share her concerns.

What she was planning to bring up... This wasn’t her division. If anything, she should’ve went straight to Lieutenant Colonel Frank. He was in charge of the Ares case, and the recent attack. She was done with the state alchemists officially until a related case dropped onto her desk. Yet, she was still here with a nagging worry poking her brain about the kid.

_Nico di Angelo. That’s his name._

“This is a Major General you’re about to speak to,” Reyna reached out and held Annabeth’s fingers. “I know you want to move up the ladder to the top, and I believe you can get there. I just want to make sure that you’re confident you won’t misstep too early in the game.”

“I won’t.”

Reyna cupped Annabeth’s chin with her other hand and tilted it up. Annabeth closed her eyes under the warm touch of Reyna’s thumb stroking her jaw.

“Hey,” Reyna murmured. “I’ll be out here waiting for you.”

“Stop. You’re acting like I’m walking towards death.”

“I’m just a soldier looking out for another.”

“Oh?” Annabeth opened her eyes, but they crinkled against the smile she sported. “‘Just a soldier,’ eh? I think you mean ‘a soldier with heart eyes the size of the moon for the wise girl about to dip her feet into the deep end of the political pool.’”

“That’s a mouthful,” Reyna admonished. Before Annabeth could reply, Reyna leaned up and kissed her. It wasn’t a passionate kiss that had their hands raking across each other’s bodies, and it wasn’t a goodbye kiss streaked with the salty taste of tears. The kiss was a soft press like the one Reyna had given her this morning when they parted ways for work: _I’ll see you later, my love_.

“I won’t take long,” Annabeth murmured before turning to head towards Major General Pluto’s office.

She knocked, three crisp jabs against the door. _Breathe in_. When she heard the “Come in,” command, she opened and walked through the door. _Breathe out._

Annabeth expected a Major General’s office to be more grandiose than the rooms in the Investigations Department, but there wasn’t much difference. The room had the space for personal effects and even an assistant, and without them it felt like a white void of space. There were no medals or certificates or photos along the wall to help Annabeth get a better picture of Major General Pluto. He sat there, a dark presence in the sparse room, and looked up from where he was signing a document.

His eyes roamed over the epaulette on Annabeth’s shoulder.

“First Lieutenant Annabeth Chase; Investigation Department, Central branch, sir,” she saluted and greeted. “I came here to discuss matters pertaining to an investigative case I’ve been working on.”

“Sit,” he gestured to the chair in front of her. There was nothing vibrant about his looks or tone. The man had the grim reaper look down; that was for sure. His hair and eyes were nothing less than pitch black, and his skin was pale like bare bone stripped of all flesh.

“Thank you, sir,” Annabeth sat down, and observed as he put his pen down to lace his long bony fingers together.

“What investigative case concerns me?”

“Recently, a state alchemist was attacked by a well-known serial killer known as Ares. Since a lot of the state alchemist information goes through you before heading to his excellency the Führer, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the state alchemist in question.”

“Proceed,” he said. Annabeth tried to keep her own face neutral, but she didn’t think she could pokerface as well as Major General Pluto was doing.

“The state alchemist’s name is Nico di Angelo. He’s a new recruit. You remember when I gave you the court summons about his illicit activity involving human transmutation, correct? You were also a panel member at his state alchemist exam.”

“Yes,” Major General Pluto agreed. “That is correct.”

“You also read through his file,” Annabeth crossed her legs. “I was the one who built the case profiles for all the state alchemists this year. It’s signed by yourself and the other panel members as having read the information thoroughly.”

“That is true as well.”

Annabeth paused to gather her next thoughts. She knew she had to box him in right away with just how much information he’s expected to know about Nico di Angelo. It was possible that if she jumped straight to business, he would deny knowing anything about Nico since he’s so new to the state alchemist program. She needed insurance in case this didn’t go the way she planned.

“Are you familiar with the serial killer, Ares?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re familiar with Ares’ signature style?”

“Somewhat.”

“Somewhat? Can you clarify?” Annabeth wasn’t fond of one word answers. There wasn’t nearly enough information to pick apart in a “somewhat.”

“He’s been attributed to killing some government officials, but the divisions I deal with, like the state alchemist program, have been left alone by him.”

“Until now.”

“Until now,” he agreed. “So, news about him doesn’t cross my desk often. His case file had been handed to me when the state alchemist was attacked, but I can’t call myself an expert on the killer. I am aware that he’s brutal, and leaves his victims carved and dead.”

“Well, I’m looking into possible explanations that can lead to Ares’ capture. At the moment, Nico di Angelo is the only known survivor of Ares, but he’s also the only state alchemist. It gets even murkier because he was attacked the day he was awarded his title and officially inducted into the military. All the other targets had years of military experience. A lot of them were seasoned veterans. It doesn’t fit the pattern, and that could spell trouble for Nico di Angelo.”

“I’ll trust your expertise on the matter,” Pluto cocked his head to the side. “However, I do not see how I can help you.”

“Oh, I don’t think you can help me with the case all that much,” Annabeth admitted. She got the look of confusion she was expecting out of the Major General. Annabeth gave herself a point for putting a crack in the emotionless facade the Major General was so fond of.

“Then why come to me, Lieutenant?”

“I thought you might like to hear that I’m working to help keep your son alive.”

Instead of an immediate dismissal, the room fell into a quiet lull. Major General Pluto’s look of confusion melted back into a thin line of neutrality.

_“I’m not sure I can give a better description besides an ‘older looking Nico.’ Sorry.”_  That’s what Nico’s childhood friend, Piper, had said, and it was the best description Annabeth could think to label Major General Pluto. There were a few differences that set them apart, but she couldn’t help but think that this man sitting before her was what years and years of military experience will harden Nico into.

She noticed the similarity at the State Alchemist Exam, but it wasn’t until later that she made the connection. Looks aside, Piper told Annabeth that the father was a state alchemist. After massive cross-referencing and hours of ticking away options, she finally reached a conclusion.

Annabeth waited for him to make the next move, but the clock _tick-tick-ticked_  away for what seemed like hours.

“It is rather obvious, isn’t it?” Major General Pluto’s mouth churned like he had eaten something sour.

“Excuse me?”

“You are not the first person to point out the rather ridiculous amount of similarity between myself and him,” Major General Pluto clarified. “I doubt you’ll be the last.”

“So,” she blinked a few times to gather herself. She felt like the major general had robbed her of her satisfaction with hours of research in just a few simple words. “You don’t deny my claim?”

“No. There’s no point in it now.”

“There was a point to it before?” Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

Major General Pluto tilted his head. His pitch black eyes bore into Annabeth. They looked rather soulless and dim under the abysmal office lighting.

“Why did you come here to talk to me about him, Lieutenant? As far as we’re both concerned, he’s my bastard son that I haven’t bothered to visit in more than a decade.”

“Because he performed human transmutation using research notes _you_  left behind. Human transmutation that you rewarded him for instead of punishing him.”

“I didn’t want him to go free.”

“What?”

“I didn’t want him to go free,” he repeated. “At the time, I thought that was for the best. A crime deserves punishment.”

“So, you don’t anymore?”

Major General Pluto relapsed into silence.

“Why don’t you think him being jailed is the best scenario anymore?” Annabeth pressed again. “A crime’s a crime... Unless the attack changed your mind?”

“Lieutenant Chase, I’m done humoring you. This conversation bears no fruit for your investigation. You said so yourself. Good-bye.”

“We still have the matter of the research notes to attend to,” Annabeth asserted. She couldn’t get kicked out now.

“Do we?”

“Yes. Research notes shows interest in an illegal activity. That is fruit enough.”

“A weed at best,” murmured Major General Pluto. “I have never performed human transmutation. I am an alchemist, and therefore I research all forms of alchemy. Taboo or not.”

“So you know clapping alchemy can be achieved through human transmutation?”

That caused him to pause. Annabeth hadn’t wanted to spill what she knew, but the major general was ready to kick her out. She knew it was time to give a little to take a lot.

“I know you know that’s what it’s called. You and the other generals. I overheard you guys talking at the practical; that was what General Jupiter called it.”

Major General Pluto’s jaw tightened.

“You guys knew he performed human transmutation before I even brought the case to the table, didn’t you? You guys also knew what happened when someone performed it, despite your claims that you’ve never performed it yourself,” Annabeth leaned back and smirked. “That’s very shifty if you ask me. Shifty enough to bring attention to.”

“If you’re implying you’re going to bring another bureaucratic procedure to the Führer’s desk that tries to implicate me, I’m going to advise you to not bother.”

“Oh?”

“It was the Führer’s decision to let Nico stay in the military. Everyone else was against it, but this isn’t a democracy. The Führer’s word is law. He needs no counsel, and he does not care that his senior staff knows about human transmutation and it’s effects. Your casefile will be taken with a smile, and then dumped in the trash.”

Annabeth’s smirk fell. She opened her mouth, but then closed it.

“You’re intelligent, and you have more spine than most of the rats that calls themselves soldiers here, but you’re not wise. You’re ignorant. There’s no fault on you for that; you’re a lieutenant. It’s hard to hear the whispers at the top when you’re hanging onto the bottom rung for dear life.”

Annabeth crushed her lips together to hold back the barrage of insults she wanted to sling at him. A sharp pain throbbed where her teeth dug into the inside of her mouth. How dare he?! The part of her brain that knew he was her superior officer pushed down the part that wanted to jump over his desk and throttle him.

“You’re playing the game wrong, Lieutenant Chase.”

“I’m not playing any games, Major General Pluto,” Annabeth tried to keep her voice level, but her face felt hot from rage. Her voice was jagged and tipped with poison, but the major general looked just as cool and poised as he did at the beginning of their conversation. Even the reigns of the conversation had been snatched out of Annabeth’s hands. That made her blood boil even more.

“So, you didn’t come here in an effort to curry favor with news about my estranged and illegitimate son?”

“I want to help him!” Annabeth found herself snapping before she could stop herself. Her ears were burning.

“Why?”

“Because he’s a fifteen year old kid!” her voice rose, and Annabeth couldn’t stop herself. The words felt like bile in her throat. “He’s been ripped apart physically and mentally several times; do I need a better reason? Yes, fine. There was a part of me that wanted to gain favor, but your son’s life isn’t a game.”

Annabeth finally gained enough control of herself to snap her mouth shut. She felt like she had run a mile, and Major General Pluto’s eyes were no longer impassive. The dim soulless eyes now glinted like a madman.

“What if I told you that you’re right about Nico not fitting into Ares’ pattern?”

His voice was a soft croon after Annabeth’s shouts. It let her come down from the high she was riding, but instead of her brain processes slowing down, she felt them gearing up. The fuel was no longer rage, but intrigue. She didn’t trust herself to speak again, but she knew she had to say something.

“Go on.”

“I have allies and confidants, but less than I need,” Major General Pluto admitted. “A player under my wing in the Investigations Department is desirable.”

Annabeth blinked. She felt her body slumping as her rage simmered down when she realized what the major general was talking about.

“I am playing a year’s old game with, ah, some old friends. Sharing my blood means Nico gets roped into it. I’d rather he lived, but some others don’t think so, including the one who I suspect hired Ares to kill him.”

Annabeth froze. Ares being hired? But, he was a serial killer! She squinted, and tried to keep up with the conversation at hand while mentally cataloguing her questions for later. “And you think I can help?”

“I wasn’t lying when I said you were unwise and ignorant, but that can be corrected with time and experience,” shrugged Major General Pluto. Annabeth felt a surge of rage hit her again, and the major general had the audacity to give her a creepy smile. “There’s that pride of yours as well. Pride is a good thing in moderation; you just have to tame it.”

Annabeth breathed out from her nose.

“But, I think you’re in a good position to make a difference,” Major general Pluto paused. “You’re not the only one who thinks Nico’s life isn’t a game.”

Annabeth sat up straight. A bitter taste coated her mouth. Major General Pluto may have insulted her, but he seemed to know a lot more than Annabeth did. She would have to find a way to repay him for his comments, but for now, she would need to set it aside if she wanted more information.

_How’s that for taming pride?_  she sneered inwardly.

“If Nico is being targeted in some way,” Annabeth thought back to what he had said: _Sharing my blood means Nico gets roped into it_. “Shouldn’t he be informed about it?”

“Do you think that would help?” Major General Pluto cocked his head again. It took her a few moments to realize that he wasn’t dismissing her again; he was genuinely asking for her opinion.

“It’s easier to be prepared to defend your life when you know something’s coming.”

“Even people with foresight make stupid judgements about what might defend them.”

“Well, of course there’s risks. If you don’t think his life is a game, then give him a chance to survive.”

Major General Pluto leaned back in his seat. Annabeth kept eye contact with his smooth, blank features.

“Nico almost died because he wasn’t prepared,” Annabeth started again. “Honestly, he got lucky that his friend Major Hazel Levesque was so quick to act.”

“Major Hazel Levesque...” Hades murmured. Annabeth wondered if Hades had memorized all his new state alchemist recruits already. Probably not.

“Yes. She’s new to the state alchemist program, and honestly, you owe her a thank you for saving your son’s life. And Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang who’s heading the Ares case now. We all do.”

“I’ll think of some way to repay her,” he inclined his head. “And him as well.”

Major General Pluto drummed his skeletal fingers against the desk top.

“You make good points. Nico should know,” he finally admitted. Good.

“I’ll tell him,” Annabeth offered. If just sharing blood with the Major General was getting Nico attacked, she wondered what would happen if he took an active interest in the kid.

“That would be wise.”

“It would be wiser if I had names to warn him about,” Annabeth urged. Major General Pluto relapsed into silence for the millionth time. She wished his body language betrayed his thoughts, but he was a statue.

“Tell him not to trust high command,” Major General Pluto tilted his head with his face as blank as ever. “Actually, tell him not to trust anyone in the military, but that high command deserves the most scrutiny.”

“So, you want me to tell Nico not to trust anyone except me and his estranged father and expect him to believe me?”

“I don’t expect him to heed your words at first, honestly.”

“You just hope it’ll make him cautious anyway?”

“At the least,” Major General Pluto smiled.

“Specific names would help save Nico future trouble,” Annabeth pushed again. “This is something that needs names. I haven’t known Nico for long, but he seems like someone who trusts easily. He may already trust someone who could very well try to end his life.”

“High command _is_  a name, Lieutenant Chase. The Führer. Major General Neptune. General Jupiter. Major General Venus, probably. At least be _cautious_ of her although the verdict is out on whether she is involved yet or not. Anyone who heavily consorts with any of them,” Major General Pluto’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not high up, but I feel I should mention Colonel Jason Grace specifically since he doesn’t go by his true family name. He’s most likely affiliated with his father, General Jupiter, although I haven’t been getting any reports of them being in contact recently. Reports aren’t foolproof, though.”

“I know him,” Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. She felt a knot in her stomach weakly pulse as her mind worked through what she knew and thought about Jason. “I talked to him, actually, about Nico.”

“What did he say?” Major General Pluto leaned forward. His eyes seemed intense and burning now.

“Well, he knew Nico had performed human transmutation and recommended him because of that. He was there the night the transmutation was attempted,” Annabeth tried to smooth her features over, but she feared it wasn’t working. Nico was directed to the military by Jason. Had that been a plot to get him to Central, or bad luck? “I didn’t share any new information about Nico... Nothing that he couldn’t have heard from General Jupiter.”

“Are you sure?”

Was she? Annabeth racked her brain for any suspicious activity. Grace spoke favorably about High Command, but he seemed mellow about Nico specifically. Detached. Then again, that said nothing about interest level. Most of their conversations were over the phone where Annabeth couldn’t measure if his body language betrayed what he was truly feeling.

“No,” she admitted. “I couldn’t observe him well before. I can now that he’s in Central.”

Major General Pluto nodded. A thought struck Annabeth.

“Should I investigate Major Hazel Levesque? And Lieutenant Colonel Frank Zhang? I know they both saved Nico, but that could have been a ploy.”

Annabeth respected Frank, but since Major General Pluto had pointed a cautious finger at Grace, she wondered if her other allies were as trustworthy as she thought. Plus, Hazel was new, but that didn’t rule out the possibility that she was planted by someone. Major General Pluto took his time again before answering. Annabeth was starting to wonder if his pauses were to actually think things over or to screw with her.

“Yes,” he murmured. “That would also be wise. Look into who they associate with, especially.”

Annabeth nodded. The good thing about working in the Investigations Department was that she wouldn’t have to walk far or jump through hoops to pull anyone’s confidential files. A gossip would have a field day in their records library.

“Is Ares going to be a problem again for Nico?”

“It’s hard to say,” Major General Pluto admitted. “Possibly. Ares won’t take kindly to have failed, but his failure might be why he won’t be used against Nico again.”

Annabeth thought back to how the major general let it slip that Ares had been hired. So, this person not only hired them, but has control over him? That would make Ares, well, he wouldn’t be a mercenary... Unless the person who hired him has more money than any other competitors. Annabeth wondered what it would take to get all of the information out of the major general.

“It’s standard protocol for guards to be stationed by personnel who have been targeted by serial killers. Nico needs one anyway, it seems, but that’s also an easy way for someone to weasel their way into his space.”

“Thankfully, that would be my division for appointment,” Major General Pluto sat back.

“Do you have any recommendations, or do you need me to scrounge that up?”

“You’re not going to offer yourself as a guard?”

“I don’t want to paint an obvious target on myself,” she admitted. “It’s easier to gather information in the background than out front next to the target. I respect my ability to be a flexible and moveable piece.”

“Very well,” said Major General Pluto. He gave her an appraising quirk of an eyebrow. Approval? “Decisions on that can wait until he’s out of the hospital, though, so there’s time.”

“But he’s vulnerable. It’s best to have someone guarding him now.”

“I already do, Lieutenant Chase.”

“Oh,” Annabeth blinked. “Good, then.”

“One last note,” Major General Pluto held up a long thin finger. “Never contact me on military lines about this matter. You have the codes to connect from an outside line, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then that’s all we need to discuss.”

No, it’s not, thought Annabeth. She still doesn’t know why Nico’s in danger and what it has to do with his father; what does a single bastard son matter? Why does high command, however many people that may entail, care about this one scrawny kid? In fact, there was one detail that bugged her in particular...

“Can I ask one last question before you kick me out?”

He was silent.

“The Führer. You named him as untrustworthy with Nico’s life. So, why didn’t he just execute Nico for committing human transmutation at the trial?”

Major General Pluto only gave her a few seconds of eye contact before dropping his eyes back to the paperwork on his desk.

“For this meeting, we talked about the current state of affairs in the state alchemist program and the potential investigation needed due to the recent attack by serial killer Ares. I have declined the need to you, but after your plucky sweet-talk you have convinced me to beef up state alchemist security. Good-bye, Lieutenant Chase.”

He didn’t bother looking up again. Annabeth tried not to breathe too hard out her nostrils as she stood up and walked to the door.

“One last question,” Annabeth turned at the door to give him one last glance.

“I thought your last question was your one last question?”

“Is any amount, even a minuscule percent, of this danger have anything to do with Nico as a person and his own actions, or is this all because of you?”

“Good-bye, Lieutenant Chase,” Major General Pluto actually rose his voice, and his jaw twitched, but he still held his eyes resolutely on his paperwork. Annabeth considered that a small payback for the unwise comments and fought down a childish self-satisfied smirk.

“Good-bye, Major General Pluto.”

Annabeth went over the conversation in her head as she closed the door to his office. She couldn’t forget any detail, not even for a moment. Nico was definitely related to major General Pluto, and that was a bad thing. “Sharing my blood means Nico gets roped into it,” or something like that. Ares was hired by someone and is not a serial killer. High command is untrustworthy. The Führer. Major General Neptune. General Jupiter. Major General Venus, probably. A sharp twist in her gut formed as she thought Colonel Jason Grace, and it got more intense at the thought of looking into Lieutenant Colonel Zhang.

Of course, as she tried to remember everything, she forgot Reyna was waiting for her until she almost walked right past her.

“Are you... Alright?” Reyna spoke first and tugged on Annabeth’s arm to get full attention. The contact was nice. Warm. Reyna lead them down the corridor to leave. “You’ve got that deer-in-the-headlights look about you.”

“I feel a little excited, honestly.”

“So, good talk?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth nodded and smiled. Reyna still kept her eyebrows knitted together. “Good talk.”

“I’m guessing you got some good information?”

Annabeth’s smile dropped. What could she tell Reyna? There was no way Reyna was involved in the Pluto mess, but it was still best to keep tight lips. Usually, Annabeth told her everything, secrets be damned. The last time she... Well, it wasn’t a relationship, not really, but secrets ended up killing it. She didn’t want that to happen again. Not with Reyna.

“I just...” Annabeth rubbed her face. “I did, but I have to think a little bit more before I say anything. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Reyna said as they reached the cool outdoors. The breeze felt fresh and alive against Annabeth’s skin. “You look like you could use a drink. You did promise me drinks when I transferred.”

“I did,” Annabeth felt weightless next to Reyna as they made it to the parking lot. Annabeth was one foot into the car when she stopped and leaned on the open door.

“Hey, let’s invite Grace,” Annabeth said. Reyna poked her head over the top of the car with a confused expression. “What? It’ll be fun.”

“I’m not denying that.”

“Well, you’re always hinting you want us to be better friends, and I have you all to myself afterwards anyway, so...” Annabeth bit her lip and grinned as she surveyed the sky. “Y’know what? Zhang too. Let’s make it a party with the four of us at Zacardo’s Bar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end of what we've written chronologically. Starting next update, we'll be providing chapter summaries for what didn't get written, along with a number of scenes and chapters that had been written out of order.
> 
> If you liked the story so far, please drop a comment. There are a number of things we're still working on in this fic, and your enthusiasm will help us get those last few pieces into place.


	10. IX. Annabeth (cont) + X. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We begin the chapter summaries with continuing IX. Annabeth and dashing through X. Nico, with a tense scene between Leo and Nico taking center stage.

_IX. Annabeth (continued)_

Annabeth and Reyna invite Frank and Jason, respectively, to Ziccardo's bar. Annabeth uses this as an opportunity to dig for information (with the slight set-back of Jason not being a drinker.) They talk about a lot of things, from how to rise through the ranks to the increase of personal after the attack on the state alchemist's exam. At some point Annabeth brings up Apollo as “Mr. Tío”, and Reyna corrects her, saying that was a familial term, not a name. Annabeth is mortified and horrified that she had let Leo and Apollo pull a wool over her eyes. She is quiet for a while as the conversation continues, but as she's reviewing the events of what happened and considering what to dig on, she remembers that Frank was very close to one of the librarians in the 1st Branch Library, and asks him how his boyfriend is. Frank is confused until Annabeth clarifies, and then he is slightly flustered as he explains how the librarian (who she learns is named Mitchell) was just a friend who sometimes helped him find the reference material he needs to solve a case. Annabeth's gut thinks that Frank is hiding something, but she's not sure if it's just that Frank and the librarian are dating, or if it's something deeper than that.

It isn't long after that that Frank looks at the time and says that he has to go, and Jason offers to drive them back, being both sober and Frank's new roommate. Annabeth is disappointed, but lets them go. As she and Reyna return to her place, Annabeth thinks about everything that she's learned today and remembers that she is going to be the one who tells Nico that his father is Pluto.

_X. Nico_

Nico is in a fitful sleep. He sees Bianca over him, with a concerned expression. The image fades, and he's back in his childhood, sitting on the floor with a book he was supposed to be reading to learn more for human transmutation. Bianca is on the other side of the room with Tío Apollo, where he's teaching her something about joints. She's listening with rapt attention, and then her hands shoots up into the air like she was in school and asks a question, which Tío is more than happy to answer, a twinkle in his eye. Nico blinks, and then sees Bianca waving him over, with Leo sitting on the patient's table with a sprained ankle. Tío Apollo is talking Bianca through what to do, and Leo was fidgeting with his hands, impatient but not in pain while his foot didn't have any pressure on it. Nico wandered over to watch Bianca work, but he was feeling light headed. Tío's voice kept blurring words together, becoming a strong hum that filled the room and crackled with energy.

By the time Nico reached Bianca's side, the room had faded to black, purple and blood red sparks flying from a large transmutation circle on the floor. The realization dawns on him that it's the human transmutation circle, and he quickly turns to Bianca, who is looking at him with an equal expression of horror. Nico reaches out to her, maybe save her from the transmutation, but thousands of tiny hands grabbed Nico's body, and yanked him away from her. They tore and pulled apart his very molecules, and he had to watch as Bianca screamed at him. He was screaming too, seeing sparks everywhere, but instead of finding himself in front of that mysterious gate with the cruel god, he was looking at Tío Apollo's face, sweating and full of concentration. The scene almost made sense but Bianca, looking older than she ever got to live, was hovering over him too, wearing the same determined expression she would use when she helped Tío's patients when she was alive. Her mouth was moving like she was talking, but he couldn't hear her voice. Nico felt a bone pop back into place, and then passed out again.

The next time he wakes up, the following scene occurs:

**X. Nico**

Nico felt like his body was too heavy to move. It pulsed like a heartbeat that was strongest at his wrists. He grimaced. Squinting his eyes, the light assaulted his vision. It was bright, a little too bright, like an endless white void...

Nico’s body seized as his eyes shot open. There was a hand on his chest trying to keep him down, but a current of electric energy was surging through his bones telling him if he didn’t move he wasn’t going to live.

_"Someone really wants you dead,”_ a disembodied gruff voice said as their knife ghosted over Nico’s skin.

“Dude, seriously, stop. I can’t take measurements like this!”

It was Leo. Leo was looking down at him, his face no where near its old elfish charm and instead tired and slick with sweat, and that’s when Nico realized he was almost strangling his friend. He dropped his hands from Leo’s throat with a soft _thump_  onto the bed.

“Aw, man,” Leo pulled away from Nico with a hand rubbing at his throat. “I know you’re always saying you’re going to strangle me, but I never thought you’d go and do it.”

“I thought...” Nico’s voice cracked. He was thirsty. His throat felt dry and sore from overuse.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Leo fell back into a small stool at Nico’s bedside. Bedside. That’s right, he’s in a hospital.

Nico tried sitting up, but found it hard to support himself.

“Take it easy, jeez,” Leo pushed him down again, but this time Nico didn’t fight back. “You just got healed, dummy, don’t go and undo all of Tío’s work.”

“Tio?” But as soon as he asked, he remembered. He remembered Apollo coming in after a couple of days of agonizing pain and sleep just to escape it all. Apollo had said something to him, low and in the dark, and there was a lot of glowing.

“Yeah. And he dragged me up here, too. Don’t know why. He could’ve just told me you had gone and busted up my greatest work.”

Nico looked down. His leg was a stump, and Nico swallowed down the urge to throw up. He forgot what it had looked like for him to have only one leg. The metal plate screwed into his stump was a cold reminder that he wasn’t bleeding out again. He could be fixed. _Leo_  could fix it.

“Man, if you broke a toe it would be easy, but an entire leg? Do you know how much time it’ll take to get the materials?” Leo picked up a sketchpad that had been dropped on Nico’s bed and then ran a hand through his wild ringlet hair. Instead of working on the designs, he used the sketchpad as something to drum his hands against. “I’m going to charge the hell out of you for this, you know that right?”

Nico’s face felt numb, but he nodded anyway.

“I didn’t even tell my Boss I was leaving!” Leo barked out a laugh. It didn’t sound anything like the laughter Nico remembered from his childhood. It was raw. Unpleasant. “She’s going to be on my ass for this.”

Nico pressed his lips together.

“I can do it, of course,” Leo mumbled as he tapped the sketchpad harder. His leg was bouncing now as well; a soft _thump thump thump_  that felt like it was banging on the inside of Nico’s skull. “I wouldn’t be the amazing genius I am if I couldn’t. You’re lucky you have someone as awesome as me around to fix you up.”

“Yes, lucky,” Nico glared at Leo. Irritation lanced through him. Leo didn’t notice because he was looking down at his sketchpad. He didn’t look up as he prattled on.

“Tío  Apollo went to go get some food and hit on some nurses or something, but he said he’d be back to check up on you. Make sure you’re all... Together and junk,” Leo’s eyes rose, but only to stare at Nico’s stump. Nico felt the urge to cover it up with blankets.

“I can’t believe it got destroyed,” Leo whispered.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“What? The automail broke before?” Leo looked up at Nico, his eyes wide and full of panic.

“No, you moron. My leg. My _real_  leg got destroyed before. Or does that not count to you because it’s not one of your precious creations?” Nico might as well have spit acid at Leo by the way that he flinched. He didn’t know why he was so aggravated; Leo was always aggravating. But, today? Today it felt like too much for Nico to take.

“Your automail leg _is_  your real leg, Nico.”

“It’s a shitty replacement,” Nico bit out. The automail actually wasn’t that bad. Once Nico got used to walking on it, he had regained his mobility. The problem was that every time he took a step all he could remember is that there’s no flesh beyond his thigh. It’s metal and cold and as dead as his sister.

Nico expected Leo to get angry. He felt a rage simmering beneath his skin and replace the sick helplessness he had felt days prior. Some sick twisted part of him wanted Leo to get angry and yell at him. Instead, he laughed.

“‘Shitty replacement’? Are you serious right now? I’m going to guess Tío slipped you some drugs or something because my automail is nothing short of pure, unadulterated quality. It oozes quality. You’re lucky to have touched a Valdez original.”

“Lucky?” There it was again; that word broiled inside Nico. “Yes, I’m _so_  lucky to have had my leg ripped away from me and almost die from blood loss so that I could get painful surgery to attach metal to my leg so that I could walk while my sister’s _dead_. Yes. So fucking lucky.”

“Will you quit it? I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Then what did you mean, Oh Great Mechanic?”

“I was just saying! Jeez, you’re taking everything too...” Leo ran his hands through his hair again. The movement gave Nico easy access to see his face again; it was paler than it’s usual rich brown, and his eyes looked sunken in. Through the haze of irritation, Nico wondered if Leo slept in the past twenty four hours.

“Listen: I’m going to build you a new leg,” Leo stared resolutely at Nico. It disturbed Nico to see such determination on Leo’s face. “I’m going to finish it before the end of the week and it’s going to be amazing and you’re going to cry at my craftsmanship. And you’re going to kick a lot of booty with this new awesome leg, and no asshole will be able to even touch you,” the stool Leo was sitting on screeched as he got up. “That’s a Leo Valdez guarantee.”

Nico’s building rage plummeted as Leo walked to the door. He stopped before he actually exited to turn back towards Nico one last time.

“Nico...” Leo bit his lip. “Look, just don’t run off with your new leg and do anything too dangerous, okay?” He paused. “Besides you, who else could I charge a fortune for repairs?”

“I’ll try,” was all Nico could manage. Leo left; the soft _click_  of the door was the last word spoken.

 

_X. Nico (cont.)_

Nico's mind blurs together a bunch of different events between his feverish healing sessions. Frank visits, giving Nico a new silver pocket watch and an update on Ares saying he was still at large. Hazel and Leo talking in low whispers nearby, with a lot more sharp words than Nico would want his two best friends to use. Jason and Reyna visiting, with Jason heading the Ares case now. An ashen-colored old black woman visits with a fruit basket that smelled like wilting violets. She introduced herself as Hecate, Hazel's alchemy teacher, and insisted on shaking his hand. Hazel looked uncomfortable when Hecate was around, but Nico was too exhausted to ask about it after Hecate left. Then a time where nearby talking woke Nico up, but his body hurt too much to move. He recognizes the voices as Apollo and Leo, and almost says something but realizes Leo is on the verge of crying. Suddenly feeling like he's an intruder, Nico pretends to still be asleep as they have a skin-crawlingly honest heart-to-heart.

**  
** Finally, Annabeth visits. She asks him questions about the Ares case some more, which confuses Nico because he thought Jason had the case now. Annabeth confirms this is true, but she's approaching the case from a different angle. Nico shakes his head, unsure what else there is to learn, but goes along with it anyway. She asks him about Ares' motives, and he explains, again, that Ares had been hired to kill him. Annabeth doesn't seem surprised, and asks him if he knows what made him a target, and Nico shakes his head.

As an abrupt change of subject, Annabeth asks if Nico ever found out who his father was. Nico says no, of course not, he told her that the first day they met. Annabeth takes a deep breath and says that it is very likely that he was attacked because he was his father's son. Nico is confused until Annabeth hands him a file on Pluto, claiming he is Nico's father. Nico has trouble believing her until she explained all the cross-referencing she had done and, when finally confronting Pluto himself, he had made absolutely no effort to deny it. Nico's head spins, feeling like he was going to be sick. His dad had known it was him? For three years? And failed him on _purpose?_  Why? The identity of his father is something he always felt content without knowing and now that he knew it felt like he had been betrayed all over again. Annabeth tried to get his attention again, saying something about a blood feud and keeping his guard up, but it felt like the room was spinning. Annabeth recognizes that Nico is overwhelmed, and promises to come back again before leaving with a warning to be careful.


	11. XI. Leo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for a smoking character.

_XI. Leo_

Leo continues working on Nico's leg night and day, but notices pretty quickly that Nico has become a lot more quiet and surly. Leo cracks a joke, but Nico snaps at him again, and Leo backs off before Nico gets any ideas of strangling him again. Nico groans and apologizes, saying that it's been a stressful week. Leo laughs saying, “No kidding,” but can tell that Nico doesn't really want to talk about what's bugging him. Instead, he asks how Nico is surviving with all these hot military guys everywhere. Nico is flustered and reminded him that most of these guys are his coworkers and, like, twice his age. Leo jokes that doesn't stop him from looking. Nico whacks Leo's shoulder and Leo laughs, happy that Nico was getting his strength back.

Nico turns the conversation around, asking about Leo's apprenticeship in Rush Valley. Leo flexes and says that the ladies were all over him, thank you very much. Nico sarcastically plays along, helping Leo detail out all sorts of dating misadventures that Leo has _surely_ been on since they had last met. Both of them end up laughing too hard to actually finish the idea, getting cut short by Nico cringing in pain. Leo asks if Nico is alright, and Nico waves it off before asking what Rush Valley was really like.

Leo leans his stool back on his hind legs and thinks about it, balancing his pen on his upper lip before describing his usual routine with Boss Lady and the other people that he worked with, describing people going in and out of the garage for various kinds of work. Leo mostly worked on automail, since it was so intricate and there was always something new to learn or new features that could be added, but sometimes he worked on other things as well. He was usually left to his own devices when Boss Lady wasn't yelling at him for crappy designs. It gave him more opportunities to impress her when he did something actually good, and it felt really satisfying when he managed it.

Nico pays attention and nods in all the right places, and waits until Leo is completely done with the topic to ask Leo if he could ask a question that has been bothering him for a while now. Leo gives him the go-ahead and Nico nods before saying that he's noticed that Leo smells like smoke. Leo tenses and gets defensive when Nico asks if he's been smoking cigarettes. Nico assures him that he's not going to try to make him stop, he was just confused because that was how Leo's mom died. Leo snaps at Nico – Doesn't he think Leo knows that? He knows what he's doing okay, Nico needs to butt out.

Apollo bursts into the room, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. He ruffles both their hair, cracking a joke before announcing that, if everything goes as planned, he'll be on a train to Yuflam tomorrow. Both the boys are shocked, since this was a very sudden announcement. Tío explains that Nico is making an amazing recovery as it is, and they're at the point where Nico will be able to heal on his own in no time. He's enjoyed spending time with his sons, but Yuflam needs a doctor too. Nico is disappointed, but understands. He reminds Apollo to come say goodbye before he leaves. Leo is a little bit relieved. Not only was the topic changed away from an uncomfortable one, he was glad Apollo wouldn't have to look over his shoulder and worry about being recognized anymore. It's been hard to ignore how tense he's been, even through the happy-go-lucky facade. Leo gathers up his tools while Nico and Apollo talk, and heads out without saying goodbye to Nico.

A variation of the scene would play out next. (This is one of the earliest scenes written, so there are a lot of details that don't quite fit anymore.)

 

**XI. Leo**

Leo breathed in the cool evening air. Visiting hours were officially over, and he was kicked out of Nico’s hospital room again. He pushed the side of his head and he felt a satisfying _crack_  from his neck. Locking his hands above his head, he stretched out his spine as well. He sighed as his bones settled back into place, and reached into his back pocket for his lighter and a cigarette.

He hadn’t even managed to light the thing before Piper showed up out of nowhere and said, “Aren’t you a bit too young to smoke?”

Leo nervously tapped the butt of his cigarette with his thumb and flashed Piper one of his winning smiles. “C’mon Pipes, it’s the first break I’ve gotten all day. I’ve gotta unwind _somehow_.”

“Why don’t you unwind by coming over to my place?”

Leo’s eyebrows shot up. “Piper, I never knew you felt that way about—“

She whacked him in the arm. “I meant for dinner. You and Apollo have been working really hard the past few weeks, and I’ve convinced my roommate to cook for us.”

“Is your roommate hot?”

“Yup.”

Leo whistled and slid the cigarette back into his pocket. “Well then, how can we refuse?”

It didn’t take long for Apollo to accept free food from an old friend (with a hot roommate) but by the time they actually reached her apartment Leo’s mouth was watering. (Which was in no way helped by the amazing smell that greeted them upon entering.)

“Alright!” Piper called. “We’ve got guests!”

“I should hope so!” Someone called from the kitchen. “I didn’t make all this food for nothing.”

The person (guy? Girl? Leo wasn’t sure) knocked the stir fry to one side before sliding it onto a ready plate and setting the pan on an unused backburner. They turned off the stove and approached them.  Once Leo saw the person’s red eyes he glanced at Piper, but she wasn’t looking his way.  Why did she have an Ishbalan roommate?

They approached Leo and offered a hand. “My name is Mitchell Kadar. It’s nice to meet you.”

Ah. Boy then. It was hard to tell – his white hair was pulled into a long ponytail, and even though his jaw was square his nose and lips were feminine. (Plus he had a rather large back end to go with a slender frame.) A white scar ran across his dark cheek from his ear to his dimple.

Leo shook his hand. “Leo Valdez.”

Mitchell grinned. “Thought so. Nico talks about you.”

“I bet he talks about how sexy and awesome a mechanic I am.”

“Well,” Mitchell’s smile turned polite. “I don’t think he used those _exact_  words…” He turned to Tío Apollo. “And you are?”

Apollo flashed his best smile as he swept up Mitchell’s hand and kissed it. “Apollo Sol, at your service.”

Mitchell’s eyes widened. “Apollo Sol? The Apol—“ he glanced between Piper (who just grinned and shrugged) and Tío (who was soaking up Mitchell’s bewilderment). “The Magic Touch Alchemist?”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me,” Apollo grinned. “By any chance are you a fan of mine?”

Mitchell turned a deep shade of tomato as he took back his hand. “No! – Nothing like that,” he laughed nervously. “I’m just a librarian at the First National Library, and your work crosses my desk a lot.”

“Ah, I suppose it would.” A faraway look entered Tío’s eyes.

Without missing a beat, Leo opened his arms in a wide gesture. “So, anyone else as starving as I am? Let’s eat!”

“Yes,” Mitchell said quickly, shooting Leo a grateful look. “Come on it and sit at the table – everything’s ready.”

[At the table – Mitchell sits down after setting the last food dish on the table]

Leo reached for the garlic bread, but Piper kicked him under the table. He gave her an incredulous look, but she rolled her eyes and jerked her head toward Mitchell. He had his eyes closed, and his hands folded in prayer. Like Piper, Tio was also waiting patiently, but with his eyes closed. Several awkward seconds later, Mitchell opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly at everyone.

“Thank you. Here, try this.” He passed a dish to Tío.

“Thank you,” Tío smiled at Mitchell and gave himself a large helping. “So what made you decide to work at such an important library?”

“Mm,” Mitchell hummed around his fork before pulling it out and saying, “I just love being surrounded by knowledge. Helping others find what they’re looking for and furthering our country’s intelligence is very rewarding.”

Leo raised his eyebrows skeptically. “Are you even allowed to read the stuff in there?”

Mitchell shrugged. “When something new is published, there is a preliminary read-through to make sure the document meets regulations. Then, several random pages are transcribed word for word into our archives, and every time someone returns that document after use, we compare our saved pages to the ones in the book to make sure the copy was forged or tampered with. Other than those instances – No, we’re not allowed to read the material in the First National Branch. Even with the little that we are allowed, we’re sworn under penalty of death not to utter a word to unauthorized personnel.”

Leo gaped at him. “Dude that is _way_  too much cost for not nearly enough benefit.”

Mitchell chuckled, but didn’t reply, turning back to his food.

Leo didn’t know what to think of the guy. He was definitely hot – Piper didn’t lie – but Leo wasn’t sure he could trust him.

Piper broke the growing silence by saying, “How is Nico’s recovery coming?”

“Physically,” Apollo’s eyes softened as he spoke, looking more tired and old with every word. “He’s recovering quite fast. He could probably be up and walking now if he had a second leg—“

“Hey, I’m doing my best!” Leo said indignantly.

“Yes, I know.” Apollo flashed him a grin. “And he heals more completely every passing day, so take your time. It keeps him from being reckless.” He turned back to Piper. “But I’m worried about his mental health. He’s really shaken up, and there’s nothing I can do to heal a mind.”

“Should I try talking to him more?” Piper asked.

“Now might not be the best time.” Leo grimaced. “He’s been snapping at me every time we’re in the same room. He’s said some pretty harsh stuff.”

Piper squared her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of Nico Di Angelo.”

“Hey, neither am I,” Leo shrugged with his hands in the air. “But I know when not to pick a fight with him.”

Mitchell raised an eyebrow. “Trying to have a conversation with him is picking a fight?”

“Sometimes; yeah.”

“Well, I’m gonna brave it,” Piper said, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth. “I ain’t afraid of no alchemist.”

“Word.” Mitchell held his hand up toward Piper, who slapped it enthusiastically. He grinned at her and said, “Alchemists are still human like the rest of us. You can take him.”

Piper flexed her nonexistent muscles. “Totally.”

“So, what _do_  you think of alchemists?” Leo asked, waving at his fork in Mitchell’s general direction. Piper was shaking her head as subtly as she could but Leo pressed on, “I mean, isn’t it awkward being surrounded by so many alchemists? <em>State</em> alchemists too…”

Mitchell raised his eyebrows but his expression remained deadpan. “Actually, I quite like alchemy.”

“But isn’t alchemy, like, _forbidden_  in your—“

“ _Leo_.” Piper scolded through grit teeth.

Mitchell held his hand up. “It’s alright, Piper.” He looked at Leo. “It’s true – common Ishbalan belief says alchemy is an unholy art that deludes men into believing they are gods. But that is not how I have come to see it. While the ‘decomposition’ and ‘reconstruction’ stages of alchemy are probably still frowned on, to ignore the ‘understanding’ stage would be throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” Mitchell shifted his posture, a grin spreading across his face. “I really admire how much alchemists have been able to figure out about the world. Studying the building blocks of nature isn’t wrong – it’s like admiring the individual strokes of a painting!” He leaned forward, eyes sparkling and face beaming. “And that’s just the compounds and elements! Once you get into the man and the circles, you start pulling from the natural geometry of the earth and quantifying them in a new formation that nature itself is able to recognize and travel through.”

Apollo sat up straighter in his chair. “You’ve studied Xingese alchemy?”

“Ah, not really.” Mitchell’s cheeks flushed. “A friend lent me a few books on the topic. I’m only about halfway through them right now.”

Apollo nodded approvingly. “It’s a good idea to study all sorts of alchemy. Why, if we hadn’t studied in Xing, my sister and I wouldn’t be half the people we are now.”

Leo snorted. “I thought you said you got lost in Xing and they taught you alchemy because they mistook you for someone else.”

Tío grinned and hooked his arm around Leo’s neck, looking him straight in the eye as Apollo tapped Leo’s nose on every word he spoke. “Yes, but our hosts don’t need to know that, do they?”

Mitchell and Piper laughed, the latter rising to answer the ringing telephone.

“I told you there was nothing impressive about these dorks,” Piper said before picking up the receiver. “Piper McLean; translator of almost every language. I’m off work hours right now, but if—“ She paused her monologue, presumably to listen to the person on the other end. “Alright. I’ll put him on.” She put her hand over the mouthpiece and looked over her shoulder. “Mitchell, it’s Frank, but he says he’s calling on urgent official business.”

“Alright.” Mitchell wiped his mouth on his napkin and traded places with Piper. “It’s me,” he said before frowning, standing up straighter. “I understand. I’ll be right over.” He hung up the phone and turned back to his guests. “Sorry. I’m going to need to go.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Sheesh, the military even has _librarians_  on call? What, did someone forget to return an overdue book?”

Mitchell grimaced at him and turned to piper. “I don’t think I’ll be back tonight, so don’t forget to lock up.”

Piper nodded. “More puzzles?”

“What?” Mitchell blinked, then shook his head and started heading toward the door as he said, “No, no—That wouldn’t be urgent at all. He was calling on behalf of the Investigations Department. I need to go to the First Branch immediately.”

“What , is there missing inventory?” Leo snickered to himself, but the smile Mitchell gave him lacked any humor.

“In a sense, yes. If that’s what you’d like to call a robbery.”

“ _What?_ ” Apollo stared at him.

Piper covered her mouth. “Wait, they’re not calling you in as a suspect, are they?”

“I doubt it,” Mitchell said, grabbing his coat off the rack. “Frank said he wanted my help figuring out what was taken.”

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t that like looking for a needle in a haystack when there isn’t actually a needle?”

“The reason they hired me was for my talent of finding missing needles.” Mitchell smirked at him before walking out the door, and it was the hottest thing Leo had ever seen.


	12. XII. Frank + Jason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank moves the plot forward, but for some reason it's Jason's POV in the actual scene

_XII. Frank_

After thoroughly looking through the Library with Mitchell all night, Frank goes to talk to the Führer in his office. The Führer himself had requested this book the night before, and is “very concerned” that it is gone, and instructs Frank to make this theft his top priority. The Führer suggests starting the investigation with Nemesis's rebel gang, because during the chaos of the exam's attack was when security was the most lax. Frank is confused what could be in a single document that could be so important that the Führer himself is telling him to make it his top priority, but he isn't going to question orders from that high up. As he's leaving the Führer's office, Frank spots treasury employee Ethan Nakamura going into the Führer's office after him.

Frank ends up having a conversation with Luke, the Führer's assistant, for a few minutes. Started with small talk, but ended up talking about Annabeth as a shared “friend.” Luke asks Frank to get Annabeth to forgive him for the earlier fight, and Frank makes no promises to actually achieve said feat.

Frank returns to his apartment to help Jason finish getting settled. They joke around a bit, and Frank tells Jason about the library case he's working and Jason gives him some possibilities he can think of.

While they're having this conversation, there's a knock on the door resulting in the following scene, which for some reason is in Jason's POV despite being Frank's chapter:

 

**XII. Jason**

There was a knock at the door. Jason exchanged a look with Frank, and Jason got up and answered it.

Jason wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t an Ishbalan with a manilla envelope and a picnic basket.

“Oh hey,” the Ishbalan smiled and offered their free hand. “I’m Mitchell Kadar. Are you Frank’s new roommate?”

“Yes,” Jason nodded and firmly shook Kadar’s hand. “I’m Colonel Jason Grace.”

“Ah,” Kadar glanced distractedly to the gold watch on Jason’s wrist, and then to the silver pocketwatch hooked to Jason’s waist. His smile twitched before locking onto Jason’s eyes again, grinning, and saying, “Good to meet you. Your mom’s my boss. Can I talk to Frank?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at the casual use of Frank’s name, but a quick glance at Frank said it was alright with him. Jason stepped aside and Kadar flounced over to Frank and handed him the envelope.

“Here’s the report you asked for -- the list of people in the library the date of the attack is in front. And _these_ ,” Kadar set the picnic basket on the table. “Are from Piper. She had me bake them with love.”

Frank chuckled as he glanced in the manilla envelope. “Oh, did she now?”

“Yup. As thanks for helping save Nico.” Kadar wandered over to the couch and sat on the armrest, crossed his legs, and glanced casually on the clock on the wall. Jason felt his shoulders stiffen. Did he figure out how Jason’s alchemy worked? Kadar turned to face Frank again. “It’s my understanding that Piper already gave Major Levesque hers. Her name’s spoken of highly in our household -- I hope I get to actually meet her one of these days.”

The words Kadar was speaking finally caught up with Jason, and he frowned. “You know Nico di Angelo?”

Kadar shrugged and shot Jason a white-toothed smile. “Small world, huh? Nico stays with Piper when he’s in Central, and I’m Piper’s roommate. So, yeah, I know Nico.” He grimaced and looked at the floor. “He’s a good guy. It’s awful what happened.”

Frank sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. I can’t believe that after all that Ares _still_ \--” Frank’s head jerked up, staring at Kadar. “Wait-- what do you mean ‘when he’s at Central?’ Doesn’t he live with you two?”

“Who, Nico?” Kadar tilted his head. “Not really. I mean, he kind of does _now_ , but I’ve lived with Piper for eight months and I didn’t even meet him until two months before the exam this year. The first exam, I mean.”

Frank frowned deeply, staring at the envelope in his hand. “Did he ever say where he went when he was gone?”

“Not really. Any time I saw him he had his nose in a new alchemy book studying for the test. Piper said he had been traveling with some alchemy teachers.”

Frank drummed his fingers against the table. “That wasn’t in Lt. Chase’s file…”

Kadar frowned. “Is it that important?”

“It might be,” Frank said gravely, pulling out of sheet of paper from the envelope. “But hopefully not.” He scanned the paper from top to bottom -- probably reading the list of names Kadar mentioned before -- and sighed. “Speaking of the rebel attack, were you on duty at the First Branch Library that day, Mitchell?”

Kadar sat a little straighter as he said, “Yes, I was.”

“How easy would it have been for the robbery to have occurred then?”

Kadar wrinkled his nose. “Disgustingly easy, to be honest. As soon as the cannons went off, people ran outside to see what was going on, including the security guards. It wouldn’t be a stretch for someone to just grab the book, run out to pretend to see what happened, and just never come back in.”

Jason frowned. That seemed like pretty lax security for supposedly the most extensive library on alchemical research in the world.

But Frank didn’t see this as particularly odd. He just nodded and pushed forward with, “ You said that you remembered the book that was stolen. What can you tell me about it?”

“Mm, well…” Kadar closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose and out through his mouth. “I first found the book four months before the attack. It stood out, because it was hand-bound stuffed at the end of shelf full of perfect-bound spines. When I pulled it off the shelf,” he mimicked the motion, keeping his eyes closed. “I noticed how weathered the document was. Easily over seventy years old. I took it to the front to see where it belonged, but I couldn’t find the author’s name in any of our records.”

Frank nodded. “His name was Olympa Maximus, right?”

“Yes, or so the book said.” Kadar shrugged, looking at Frank again. “Some of the other staff speculated that it was a pseudonym or was in the library before we adopted the current system. Whatever the reason, the book wasn’t in the records. I volunteered to log it.”

“Of course you did.” Frank smirked like they were sharing an inside joke. “Did it seem like something worth stealing during your preliminary read-through?”

Kadar snorted. “ _Nothing_  in our library is worth stealing at first glance. This wasn’t any different -- it was coded as an essay about Man’s relationship with nature and its laws. But, the thing is, even the _second_  layer--”

His jaw snapped shut and glanced nervously at Jason out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, he had forgotten Jason was also in the room with him and Frank. Jason looked at the Lt. Colonel, but he was _also_  carefully measuring Jason’s reaction instead of being surprised.

“So, you’re saying you’ve read the book properly, then?” Jason asked. “You decrypted it and everything?”

Kadar shifted uncomfortably, but Frank was the one to speak. “Mitchell has my express permission to read certain books in the library. This book met the criteria. Luckily for us, in this case, because we need all the information we can get about the book.” He looked to Kadar again and said, “Please, continue.”

Kadar shot Frank a grateful glance and tried to subtly let out a shaky breath before saying, “The book mostly talked about the planet and how it relates to alchemy. It explained where western alchemy comes from through the movement the tectonic plates. How an alchemical circle taps into that energy to perform a transmutation. Then it went into other theories about the origins of alchemy, and where it would go in the future. It was a fascinating read to see how ideologies and mentalities about alchemy changed in the last century, but it definitely wasn’t worth stealing.”

“But, obviously, it was,” Jason said.

“Yeah,” Kadar nodded grimly. “Which is why… I’m pretty sure there was another level of encryption. Maybe even more.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “If you went so far as to decode this book to find out what it was about, wouldn’t that bland kind of text be a red flag for multiple layers of encryption?”

Kadar's expression soured as he looked at Jason with crossed arms. It was kind of disconcerting having those red eyes staring at him while Kadar talked about alchemy. “Believe it or not, we have _all_  levels of document complexity in our library. An intermediate-level alchemy book isn’t out of place. Especially for a document that old -- I didn’t see a reason to doubt that was someone’s life work. It wasn’t as simple as I made it sound. Could I have been more thorough? Yes. But I wasn’t. So now I’m here, trying to figure out what I can do to help Frank recover the document.”

“If you could write down what you remember, that would be a great help.” Frank said, standing up. “I know you don’t have an eidetic memory, but maybe there’s a clue in the text we can find from context.”

Kadar squeezed his arms and nodded to the floor. “Okay.”

“Hold on,” Jason held up his hand and looked to Frank. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.” Lt. Col. Zhang exchanged a glance with Kadar before following Jason into one of the bedrooms.

Jason closed the door behind them and locked his hands behind his back when he faced Lt. Col. Zhang. “Are you sure you can trust him? That seems like quite a set of coincidences.”

“I know it sounds bad,” Lt. Col. Zhang admitted. “But I do trust him.”

“Are you sure your feelings aren’t clouding your judgment?” Jason asked cautiously. “Annabeth said--”

Frank groaned. “I _know_  what Annabeth said at Zacardo’s, but I was telling the truth back then. There’s no romantic attraction between us, and even if there was, I know better than to date a coworker. Which is exactly what he is. We’ve gotten the reputation of being close friends because during his off-hours I’ve been consulting with him about different forms of alchemy that have appeared in difficult cases.”

Jason frowned. “How did that start? He doesn’t _actually_  have permission to read books from the First Branch, does he?”

Frank stared at him for several moments before sighing. “No. I discovered that he was reading books in the library when I was working on a serial murder case about a year ago. He saw me struggling, and helped me find the information I needed in time to catch the killer. He did it discreetly, but it was still obvious he had read the book before handing it my way. So I looked into him, who he was, where he came from, but he completely checked out. I confronted him about it, and found out he’s pretty bad at lying as well. When I told him he might not be in any trouble and he calmed down, he said that he was just interested in learning about alchemy.”

“He turned his back on his culture?” Jason raised his eyebrows. “If he was going to go that far, why not just become a State Alchemist and get access to the library legally?”

Frank shook his head. “He didn’t. He still believes firmly in the teachings of Ishbala, but is fascinated by alchemy as a theoretical science. He’s never performed a transmutation in his life, and he doesn’t plan to. Which is why State Alchemist wasn’t an option for him. But quite honestly… he’s a genius. He absorbs alchemy-related information like a sponge, and you wouldn’t believe how many times that’s been a breakthrough for a case.”

“In other words, you let him keep his position at the library, so long as he helps you with your cases.”

“Something like that, yes.”

“Are you expecting me to trust him?”

“Of course not,” Frank scoffed. “I’d really prefer you didn’t report him, but you have to make your own calls about this. There’s not much I can do to stop you. But I do trust him and his word, and I believe that he’s going to do everything he can to help this investigation.”

Jason thought it over and sighed. “Very well. I’ll leave him be for now, but I’ll be keeping an eye on him. If he does anything else suspicious, I won’t hesitate to report him.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything more.” The two of them shook hands.

When they returned to the living room, Kadar had repositioned himself at the chair Frank was at earlier. He was looking through the list of names with a pencil in his hand, and at some point found the time to braid his hair to his left.

He stood up when he saw them. “I circled the names of the people I remembered going near the section the book was shelved in.”

Frank smiled. “Thank you.”

“So,” Kadar looked between Frank and Jason. “Am I in trouble?”

“Not yet,” Jason said. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“Ah, right,” Kadar nodded with a grimace. “I understand. Lieutenant Chase is investigating me too. Maybe you can team up and save each other some work.”

Frank frowned. “Lieutenant Chase? Why?”

“I’m not sure -- she was vague about it. But she was asking me _very_  pointed questions and pretending it was casual conversation.”

 

_XII. Frank (cont.)_

Frank frowns and is concerned that Annabeth is apparently conducting an investigation that he doesn't know about. And did she leave out the part about Nico's teachers on purpose, or had Nico just been that good at hiding who they were? And why hide their existence in the first place if there was nothing to hide? Was he partnered with Nemesis? Was the attack an inside job to make them trust Nico? Frank didn't want to doubt him, but it _was_  Nico's fight with Nemesis's gang that distracted the guards from the library in the first place. Ares’ attack could have been an attempt to tie up loose ends. It looked like Frank was going to need to do some investigating of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if updates seem a little small lately, but the next one will be a full-blown chapter! Similar length to the previous actual chapters, and chock-full of juicy interactions. /o/ You won't want to miss it.


	13. XIII. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this full-length chapter Nico confronts Pluto about being his son, and later goes on to train with Hazel and Leo at Hecate's home... but something's not right about that place.

Leo lugged in toolboxes. This wasn’t new; Leo came in every day with as much stuff as he could carry to measure Nico up. The hospital room looked less and less like a hospital whenever Leo visited. It reminded Nico of Leo’s old makeshift workshop at Tío’s house. Between all the tools and plans Leo laid out and Leo’s natural smell of oil and cinnamon, Nico could close his eyes and pretend they were back in Yuflam.

Nico sat up. His body was still sore, but the doctors said that he would be released within the next couple of days. Tío Apollo had done a miracle to his recovery time. Besides some residual bruises, Nico was going to be fine.

Leo didn’t look any better. In fact, he looked worse. Leo had specks of grease on his face, and the bags under his eyes seemed to grow every day he stayed in Central. Leo’s appearance screamed that he needed rest, but he still bounced around the room as if he had inhaled five cups of coffee before coming in.

“Guess who’s getting their leg today?” Leo waggled his eyebrows at Nico as he dropped one of the toolboxes on the floor.

“What?”

“You, dummy. I’m walking, aren’t I?” Leo placed the second toolbox carefully onto the bed next to Nico. His arms shook. Nico wondered if it was because the box was heavy or if Leo was just that tired. “In about five minutes you’ll be walking, too.”

“You finished?”

“Obviously. Come on, di Angelo, keep up with me here.”

“I just didn’t think you’d be finished so fast,” Nico eyed the toolbox Leo placed next to him. Leo’s been in Central for less than a week. “You had to build a new leg from scratch. Doesn’t that usually take weeks?”

“Prosthetics can take anywhere from two weeks to a month to build on average,” Leo recited as if he were reading out notes he had taken. “But, remember how I said I was awesome? Well,” Leo unclasped and opened the toolbox. “I’m awesome.”

Nico’s gotten a leg from Leo before. Between actually crafting it to consulting resident mechanics in the area, it had taken Leo _months_  to make. Leo had been a scrawny elf of a kid back then who had never built a prosthetic before. Nico wondered how many legs he’s built since then; how many people he’s helped give another chance at an able bodied life. He remembered when Leo presented him the first automail leg. Leo was filled with as much bravado as he was now. Nico cried.

Seeing his new leg, Nico was pretty sure he might cry again.

This leg was less clunky. The metal seemed thinner and the parts fit together like puzzle pieces. Before, Nico had to buy pants that were a size bigger than he needed to be able to fit around his metal leg. This leg was skinnier. It looked more natural. The cool grey caught the light and shone. Nico rubbed at where the base of metal met his flesh.

“It’s...” Nico wasn’t sure what to say. He looked up to see Leo smiling at him with an eyebrow cocked up. He was waiting. Nico couldn’t fight off the smile that tugged up on his lips. “Okay, Leo. I’ll admit it: it’s awesome. You’re awesome.”

“I’m glad you’ve finally seen the light,” Leo clapped before grabbing the new leg in one hand and a wrench in the other. “Now hold onto those good feelings while I attach this.”

Attaching a leg was as painful as Nico remembered. The base plate was still screwed in, so Nico didn’t have to worry about any more nails being drilled into his bones to keep everything in place. He also didn’t have to have surgery again. All Leo had to do was connect the fake nerves of the prosthetic to his actual nerves that had been pulled together for easy access in the base plate. Reconnecting the nerves still felt like a jolt of electricity to his system, so Nico couldn’t help but let out a yelp.

“Positive thoughts, Nico.”

“Shut up, Leo.”

Leo packed up the wrench and dropped the now empty toolbox on the floor. Nico took a deep breath and willed his left leg to move. It obeyed.

“Let me help you up,” Leo suggested. “It’s going to feel different. I made your leg differently than I did before since I actually knew what I was doing this time. It’s still most of the same stuff, but it’s a little lighter now.”

“Lighter? Will that effect my fighting ability?”

“I said it was lighter, not fragile. Just don’t go and kick a speeding train or something and you should be fine. You won’t notice it after you get used to walking again anyway, so come on.”

Nico let Leo keep his hands on him as he pushed himself off the bed. Leo was right. Nico did notice the subtle shift in weight. The previous leg felt like a heavy drag that he was always aware of. This one still weighed more than his flesh leg, but it wasn’t as pronounced. He could probably run faster now.

Nico took a few steps without Leo hovering over him and alternated resting weight on both legs. It stung to rest all of his weight on his left leg, but that wasn’t new. An absurd memory of himself and his sister shoe shopping with their mom came to him. He had watched his mother as she paced back and forth trying on shoes to see which one she was going to buy.

“It works,” Nico bent down and stretched his calves. It burned. He was going to have to train a lot to get back to where he was before.

“Of course it does.”

“No, I mean,” Nico paused. He looked up. “Thank you. I’m just. I appreciate it. You coming up here and making me a new leg. I just really... Thank you.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Leo ducked his head and scratched the back of his neck. His elfish ears were tinged pink. Nico almost laughed seeing Leo embarrassed after he had spent the last few days talking himself up. “I’m gonna charge the hell out of you for it, so it’s cool.”

“You keep saying that but you never give me the bill. Just how much are you charging me?”

“I’ll get you the invoice, don’t worry,” Leo rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I’m leaving soon.”

“You’re not?”

“Nah. I have vacation hours saved up from my apprenticeship, so there’s no problem there. I got my ear chewed off by my superior for not giving her warning, but she was oddly okay with it in the end,” Leo tapped his leg in a rhythm. “Plus, I don’t want you running off right away. I need to do final check ups on your leg in a week or so after you’ve been using it. I want to make sure sure there’s absolutely no problems with it.”

“Okay. You staying at Piper’s?”

“Yeah. She’s acting like she’s going to kick me out when you get released from the hospital, though. Says her house can’t handle that many people.”

“I think she’s more worried about whether her house can handle _us_. We break a lot of stuff when we’re together.”

Leo laughed. It was the first laugh Nico heard the entire time Leo’s been in Central that sounded natural. The bags under his eyes seemed less extreme when blinded by Leo’s smile.

“Yeah, we do.”

As if summoned, Piper poked her head into the room. Her smile was as dazzling as a magazine model. “Hey, boys,” Piper’s smile never dropped as she walked into the room with a basket of fruit. “I see Leo finally handed over your leg. You should’ve seen him,” Piper walked up to Leo to nudge him. “I had to shoo him asleep because he was working so hard on it, but every night I found him sneaking back to where he set up his work station to continue working. And he _still_  spent almost an entire day fiddling with it after he finished.”

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t mess up somewhere! Can’t a guy be a little cautious?”

Piper snorted and handed Nico the basket. “For you. I know you’re getting out tomorrow, but I figured you’d still like something fresh to eat today.”

“I’m getting out tomorrow?” Nico felt excitement bubble in the pit of his stomach.

“Yeah. There’s still some things they’ll talk to you about like physical therapy stuff, but you’re scheduled to be released tomorrow,” Piper turned to Leo. “And, you! Clean up all your stuff. You’ve taken over my house.”

“Okay, okay, Pipes. Jeez,” Leo threw his hands up in surrender. “I’m gonna go clean before beauty queen here skins me,” he nodded to Nico. “I’ll be back later.” Leo stole a banana from the basket before running off.

“You ready to get out of here?” Piper asked. Nico stared at her. Her smile wasn’t as blinding now. Piper’s face still contained warmth in it, but her multicolored eyes seemed to be taking Nico in. Measuring him. She was good at reading people, so Nico always felt the need to tell Piper the truth.

“Yeah. This was just a setback. I still need to move forward.”

“Good,” she nodded and swiped a pear from the basket. “But, Nico. If you need to talk about it... I’ll be here. Okay?”

Nico nodded and took an apple. He thought it was sweet of Piper but he wouldn’t need to take her up on that offer. He wasn’t going to let this happen again. He took a bite out of the fruit, sweet and juicy, and knew that he needed to keep walking forward.

And to do that, he was going to need to confront his past. Specifically, his dead-beat father. So he spent the rest of his time in the hospital planning what he was going to say to him. Ran through as many scenarios as he could think of. But once he was released from the hospital and actually standing in front of his father's office, he found his mind alarmingly blank.

Nico raised his hand to knock, but as he balled it into a fist his fingers wouldn’t stop trembling. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his injury or just nerves. Regardless, he knocked on Major General Pluto’s door with his left hand.

“Come in,” came the muffled reply.

Nico breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth. He could do this. He opened the door.

His father’s office was even less personal than the study he had abandoned in Yuflam -- and that had only had a work table and several bookcases. His Central office had no personal effects whatsoever. There were no photos on his desk, or knickknacks for the mostly empty bookshelf. A lone filing cabinet sat locked in the corner.

Pluto -- Nico’s father -- glanced up at Nico. But apparently a glance was all Nico was worth, for his eyes locked back onto the piece of paper he was writing on. “Have a seat,” he said, absently gesturing to the lone chair in front of his desk. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

“Can’t spare an extra second to talk to your son, huh?” Nico sat in the chair, throwing his legs over the armrest in the way that used to drive his mother up the wall.

Pluto didn’t notice, nor did he rise to Nico’s taunt. He just kept scribbling on that document, letting the noise fill the room. Nico drummed his fingers against the side of his leg anxiously. He hated this. He thought he’d be home free as soon as he walked through that door. His dad would talk, and Nico would pretend to hear him out, and then yell at him for everything he’d ever done wrong. This silent waiting game was torture. He almost wished he was back at the hospital. Almost.

After what felt like an eternity, Pluto set his pen down. He folded his hands, and turned his full attention to NIco. “Now then, what is it you want to say?”

Nico shifted uncomfortably under his father’s gaze, putting both feet flat on the floor. But he wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily. “What, no ‘hello’? No, ‘gee, i’m glad you survived getting attacked by a serial killer’?” Pluto winced. Nico plowed on, “You knew who I was. You had to have. Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you keep failing me?”

His father’s face remained passive. “I did what I thought was best.”

Nido waited, but Pluto didn’t elaborate. Nico’s real heel bounced nervously. “In other words, ‘Daddy had a very good reason for abandoning you and your family, but the gods forbade me from actually _explaining_  myself, so instead of honest communication, I just pretended to hate you instead.’ “

Pluto raised his eyebrows cooly. “Would explaining myself really change things?”

“Yes!” Nico shouted, suddenly standing. His face grew hot, and he quickly sat down again, stuttering at a more reasonable tone, “I-I mean… _maybe_.” He didn’t like how desperate that last word had sounded, but there was no taking it back now.

Pluto leaned into his chair, fiddling with his pen a moment before looking at Nico in the eye and saying evenly, “No matter my reasons,the fact remains that I did abandon you, Maria, and Bianca. And, had I been there, their fates may have changed. But I wasn’t, and there’s nothing to be done. You have every right to be mad at me.”

Nico looked down at his twiddling thumbs, his voice trembling, “ Did you even know what happened?”

“Not until you said so yourself. When I left, I cut my ties completely.”

Nico’s nostrils flared as he gripped the metal base of his leg. “Did you care about us _at all_?”

“Yes.”

Nico’s head jerked up. Pluto’s eyes were soft, and the ghost of a smile played on his lips, but he was looking straight through Nico. His stomach squirmed.

“I loved your mother very much. She had a strong spirit. And Bianca was a beautiful child. I had hoped that with my absence, the three of you would be able to live together happily and in peace. Obviously that is not what happened. Even so, I wish you had stayed away.”

“Why?” Nico hissed, his heart wrestling in his guts. “Am I too _inconvenient_  for you?”

“Yes,” Pluto said sharply. “And it is far too dangerous for you. You’ve already--”

Nico stood. “You can’t pick and choose when you treat me like an adult!” He pulled his new state alchemist watch out of his pocket. “This means I’m an adult in the eyes of the law.”

Pluto’s nostrils flared dangerously, his eyes flickering between Nico and the watch. “I’ll treat you like an adult when you start acting like one. Now sit down--”

“No!” Nico’s arms trembled. “You don’t have the _right_  to tell me what to do!”

Pluto’s eyes narrowed, and he sat up coolly as he said, “You are dismissed.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

“I, a Major General, am ordering you, Major di Angelo, to leave my office.”

Nico opened and closed his mouth several times, his eyes stinging. Then he clenched his jaw, turned about-face, and headed for the door. As his fingers touched the handle a thought occurred to him.

“You know, Bianca really looked up to you,” Nico said over his shoulder. “The reason she wanted to learn alchemy in the first place was because it reminded her of you. I never understood it -- but for some reason, she really wanted to make you proud.” Nico swallowed, and glared at the vaguely blurry shape that was his father. “She was going to be a _doctor_. A really good one, too. She was learning from the best.” Pluto refused to look at him, so Nico shouted, “So I hope you’re proud of her!” His hands were shaking, and Pluto was too blurry to see. Nico choked out a laugh, and his voice cracked as he said, “Then again, maybe it’s for the best that she died. She never had to deal with a disappointment like _you_!”

Nico slammed the door behind him, and ran down the hall, tearing his jacket off of his shoulders. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but he wasn’t going to make it. He could barely see the distinction between wall and floor, and his shoulder slammed into a corner as he tried to make a turn. His hand fumbled along the wall, and grabbed the first doorknob he found. Thankfully, the room was empty. Nico quickly shut the door behind him and hurried to the opposite wall. He pressed his balled up jacket to his face and sobbed.

He’d always been a loud, obnoxious crier. Mama and Bianca put up with it, but after Bianca’s accident Nico had to improvise. Leo was extremely uncomfortable when people were crying, and he never knew how to deal with Nico when he did. All Nico really needed was a hug, but they were rarely available. So Nico learned to cry on his own, muffling the noise so no one would worry. It worked better with a pillow, but he had to work with what he had on hand.

This was a bad one, too. He was practically screaming into the coat, his entire body shaking with every sob. He’d pull away for a few hasty gasps, and bury his face in the fabric again. How could he have been so stupid as to get his hopes up? Nico’s breath hitched as he heard the soft _click_  of the door opening.

Lieutenant Chase stood in the doorway with a dumbfounded expression. Nico’s face burned in shame. Ducking his head and hugging his jacket to his chest, he hurried past her. He hoped beyond hope that she would pretend this never happened, just like he did with her fight with Castellan. In any case, she hadn’t followed him.

He let his pace slow to a walk and he took several deep breaths. He needed to calm down before meeting Hazel and Leo. He didn’t want to worry them. So he pulled on his slightly damp coat and ducked into the bathroom to wash his face. As the water cooled his skin and neck, Nico realized he did feel… better. A little bit. At least he was out of his dad’s office.

He didn’t look better, though. His eyes were red and puffy, and his skin still had a sickly tone. He didn’t want to meet them like this. But what choice did he have? He sighed, wiping his hands dry, and started loitering in the hallway outside.

He leaned against the windowsill, looking out over the city. He was on the third floor, and could see into the courtyard below. Just a few months ago and a floor down, he had been stopping a rebel attack here. He’d heard the cannon fire. Strange that he never saw a cannon, though. He didn’t hear reports of the army finding one, either. Had they transmuted one using alchemy? Nico scanned the roofs of nearby buildings, but any signs of alchemy were long gone. He did, however, spot the white dome of the First Branch Library.

Nico grinned. He could still turn this day around -- but first he had to make a phone call. He made his way to the first booth he saw on the street, and dialed the number for Leo’s hotel. There was a long wait while the front desk sent for him, but before long Leo’s groggy voice said, “Don’t worry -- I’m not gonna be late. I was just about to head out the door, I swear.”

“Good thing I caught you then,” Nico said, trying not to smile. He ran his thumb over his watch’s cover hinge. “I’m actually the one that’s going to be late. Can you tell Hazel when you get there?”

“Sure, I guess,” Leo said, sounding a lot more alert already. “Is there a reason?”

“I don’t need another search party after me if I’m not _actually_  in trouble.”

“Nah man, I mean a reason you’ll be late? I’m pretty sure the Princess is gonna ask.”

“Oh,” Nico shifted his weight back onto his automail leg. “I’m just detouring to the First Branch to talk to Piper’s roommate.”

Leo whistled. “The hot Ishbalan? I didn’t realize he was your type. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Nico laughed, the tension leaving his shoulders.. “Yeah. I know he’s way out of my league, but I figured, ‘Eh, I almost died, why not?’ “

“You’ve got this in the bag,” Nico could hear Leo’s grin. “Who can say ‘no’ to the _Clapping Alchemist_?”

“You jerk!” Nico yelled over Leo’s cackling. “I had finally forgotten about that!”

“Sorry to say Nico, but that name’s gonna follow you around for the rest of your life!”

“Yeah,” Nico smirked. “Single-handedly by _you_.”

“I won’t deny it.”

“And you call yourself my friend.” Nico shook his head happily. “I’ll see you in a bit. Don’t forget to tell Hazel.”

“I won’t, _Mom_. See you.”

Nico smiled. Leave it to Leo to cheer him up so fast. After a morning of shouting, it felt amazing to joke around just like before. He was so glad Leo was here for him.

“Uh, Nico? You haven’t hung up yet.”

“Hm? Oh!” Nico glanced at the receiver still in his hand. “Sorry, I spaced out. Bye.”

He firmly secured the handset into the hook switch before leaving for the library.

The First Branch of the National Library was a large building, but smaller than you’d expect for a place holding some of the military’s most important documents -- everything from case files to top-secret documents about alchemy. Nico was interested in the latter. The building itself was made out of marble and concrete, in the shape of a cross. Each arm dealt with a different type of document, and the four were connected by the circular dome. Nico wasn’t sure what was in that area -- no one but high-ranking officers and state alchemists were allowed inside the building -- but seeing the outside had become something like a tourist attraction for Central.

Nico made his way up the front marble steps and flashed his pocketwatch to two guards before they let him into the front lobby. Which was… much smaller than expected. Just a few feet in, a wooden counter stretched from one wall to the other, barring entrance from everything but a small door on the far left, where the countertop could be lifted to let someone through.

A tired woman, whose nametag read ‘Lacy’, sat behind the counter with a cup of coffee. As soon as she spotted Nico she said automatically, “We’re not permitting checkouts at this time. In the event of an emergency, you may read your material here at the library, provided you return the materials to the librarian who handed them to you. If you don’t meet either of these qualifications, please leave and return another time.”

“I’m actually here to talk to one of your librarians,” Nico said, flashing his watch again. “Mitchell Kadar.”

Lacy sighed. “Just like Lt. Col. Zhang, huh? Alright -- sign in here and give me your watch.”

Nico frowned, unhooking his watch from his belt loop. “What do you need my watch for?”

“It’s a new security policy,” she said, taking it from him. “It’s a disaster zone back there right now -- taking some collateral helps make sure people aren’t leaving with more than they came with.” She pushed a ledger forward, placing a pen on top. “There’s talk about making it permanent too…” She sighed, and watched Nico write his name, the date, and his ID number. As soon as he finished she said, “Alright, just a moment.”

She took his watch down the length of counter to a room at the far right. She pounded on the door twice before unlocking it with a key hooked to her waist. “Octavian! We’ve got a state alchemist here.”

“But I--”

“No ‘buts’; it’s your job.”

Lacy disappeared into the room, and reemerged with a ring of keys in place of Nico’s watch and towing a gangly man even more lanky than Nico. He and Lacy wore matching beige blazers and bags under their eyes.

Lacy passed Octavian the keys and said, “Take him to Mitchell’s area.”

“He sure is popular lately,” Octavian grumbled, looking at Nico like he was something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “Right then, let’s get this over with.”

He walked past the center door, all the way to the left. He unlocked the gate for Nico to get through, and then the door behind it. “Follow me.” Octavian locked them into an obscenely long and narrow hallway, only occasionally decorated with a thinly framed document, and absolutely no doors on either side. Nico was glad he wasn’t claustrophobic.

“Aren’t you a bit young to be a state alchemist?” Octavian asked, side-eying him.

“Jason Grace was young when he joined too,” Nico said cooly.

“Yes, but _everybody_  knew who Jason Grace was. How did a nobody like you make it?”

Nico’s jaw clenched. “I guess I’m just made of the right stuff.”

“Hm.” Octavian flipped through the keys on his ring. “What’s your name, again?”

“Nico di Angelo.”

“Ohh, yeah, I remember reading about you in the news. Survived getting attacked by Ares -- the Clapping Alchemist, right?”

Nico flinched. He hadn’t realized his second name had gone to print. “Yeah… yeah, that’s me.”

They finally reached the door at the end of the hallway, and Octavian didn’t waste any time before unlocking it. He rushed Nico forward, so he could lock it behind them again. They were in the circular room under the dome. It was spacious, with two large staircases spiraling clockwise around the walls, stopping on every floor it passed along their way to the dome, where a mural had been painted on the ceiling. Under normal circumstances, it looked like this room would have open access to every part of the library. As it was, every hallway was covered by a strong metal grate. It’d be easy for an alchemist to break through, but would pose a challenge to an average person. Rows of tables sat in the center of the room, covered with books and manned by people with both blue and beige uniforms.

As Octavian led Nico toward one of the staircases, a woman in the center of the room caught Nico’s eye. She wasn’t rearing either uniform, so her purple suit stood out in the crowd. Her dark hair was braided up into a bun and woven with gold ribbons. She must have felt Nico looking, because not a second later she was looking straight at him over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, and she muttered something to the men around her before she made her way toward Nico.

“And who is this?” she asked Octavian.

“Nico di Angelo, ma’am.”

“Ah, yes,  Major di Angelo.” She eyed Nico like a rat at a pet store. From this distance it was easy to see her wrinkled nose and the beginnings of aging lines. “I’ve heard all about you from my husband.” She smiled, but only with her mouth. “We’re all expecting great things from you, boy.”

“Thank you,” Nico nodded his head.

She seemed content with the conversation, and walked away soon after.

Nico turned to climb the staircase, but Octavian stood over him, eying him with new interest.

“What?” Nico asked.

“Nothing.” He shrugged and turned around, leading them to one of the grated hallways on the second floor. Octavian tried several identical keys in the lock before lifting the grate to let the two of them through.

They found Mitchell sitting cross-legged between two shelves, half a shelf’s contents strewn about in stacks in front and behind him. He was so engrossed in comparing the book in his hand to a large binder in his lap that he didn’t notice them until Octavian cleared his throat.

“Hm?” Mitchell’s head jerked up. “Oh! What’s up, Octavian?”

“State alchemist wants to talk to you,” he said, shoving Nico forward. “It’s your job to see him out again.”

“I understand. Thanks for bringing him here.”

“Hmph.” Octavian left, locking them into the area.

Mitchell smiled up at Nico. “You were released from the hospital this morning, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico said, rubbing his shoulder where he was pushed.

“Sorry for not visiting after the robbery. It’s been kind of hectic here.”

“It’s fine,” Nico said, sitting on the floor with some effort. “It _looks_  kind of crazy here.”

Mitchell smiled, his red eyes just as baggy and bloodshot as the receptionists’ were. He set his book in his lap overtop the binder, and folded his arms over a stack of books between them. “So, have you come to finally get your questions answered?”

“Yeah, now that you’re contractually obligated to answer me.” Nico chuckled.

At first, Nico didn’t think of Mitchell. It had been a real shock when he had returned to Central last November and Mitchell had been the one to answer Piper’s door, and it was an awkward half hour before Piper came back, but they got along well enough when their paths crossed after that. Back then, the scar on Mitchell’s cheek was still healing.

Sometimes, when Nico studied for the exam in the living room, he would catch Mitchell reading over his shoulder. Mitchell would smile and apologize before moving on, but Nico wasn’t sure what to make of it until one night he awoke from a nightmare. He emerged from the basement to help him breathe, and found Mitchell at the kitchen table, papers spread to each corner. As soon as he noticed Nico he hastily gathered them up and said, “ _Sorry, I was doing research for a colleague. Did I wake you?_ ”

Nico had only been able to glance at the notes, but it looked like research on extremely advanced alchemy.

After that, he started to pay attention to Mitchell more closely.It wasn’t long before Nico realized that _solving puzzles with Frank_  was code for _decoding First Branch alchemy research with a government official_. Nico called him out on it, but Mitchell neither confirmed nor denied the idea. He did, however, get strangely deaf any time Nico tried to ask him about the library.

“I’ll answer the questions you have clearance for.” Mitchell’s cheeky green rivaled Leo’s.

“How much of the library have you read?” Nico asked quietly.

“Only a small fraction, I’m afraid,” Mitchell shook his head. “Have you _seen_  this place? It would take several lifetimes--”

“What about in just the alchemy section?” Nico pressed.

“Still very little.” Nico’s disappointment must have shown on his face because Mitchell continued, “I’ve only been here a couple of years. It took me a long time for me to actually get the courage to read anything, and all of these are written in code. There’s a good reason it took this long. But trust me -- what I’ve learned, I’ve learned well.”

“Good,” Nico nodded. “Did any of those books mention a gate?”

“Well, one of them was coded as a carpentry how-to book, but I’m guessing that’s not what you mean.” Mitchell smiled wryly. “You want information on the Gate Theory, don’t you?”

Nico blinked. “What’s that?”

Mitchell was taken aback. “Was I wrong?”

“Maybe not,” Nico said quickly. “Just tell me what it is.”

“Well, alchemy is pretty amazing, right? In some parts of the world, it’s still viewed as magic. People use it every day, but we don’t know where it comes from. Both Eastern and Western alchemy say it was taught to them by a golden-haired man from Xerxes, but that doesn’t explain the source of alchemy. Why is it that we can use alchemy using the movement of the tectonic plates, and the Xingese can use it via leylines?” Mitchell’s eyes were gleaming as he built up his story. “People have wondered about this for years -- and the Gate Theory says that our world is connected to another dimension with limitless energy and information through a large white Gate. It’s the source of all alchemy, and some claim it’s the realm where God lives.”

Nico swallowed, his fingers drumming against the side of his leg. “Yeah, that’s _definitely_  what i’m looking for. What more can you tell me about it?”

Mitchell sighed. “Unfortunately, not much. I’ve found despairingly little written about it -- it’s only ever mentioned in passing, and never more than a paragraph or two. There’s about ten pages of information in everything I’ve read -- the largest section of them all was in that stolen book, and that was just three pages.”

Nico’s heart sank. “That’s… that’s _all_?”

“That I’ve read,” Mitchell said quickly. “There might be more but without knowing where to look…” He shook his head. “Trust me, if I could easily find all the books in the library about the Gate Theory, I would. It’s really fascinating, but without decoding them all, it’s impossible to know if one’s gonna bring it up or not.”

Nico’s stomach churned and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be sick or if his wounds were aching again. He leaned his back against a bookcase and pulled his legs out from under him. He stared at this automail knee through his pants and drummed his fingers across the side. He needed to calm down. There was still… still hope.He forced his hands still while he took a couple of calming breaths. He looked at Mitchell again and asked, “ Do you remember what those books said about it?”

“Honestly, there isn’t much more than what I said. Different people say different things, but the basics just come down to the limitless energy and information stored in that other dimension on the brink of a person’s consciousness. So long as you pay an appropriate price, you could learn anything.”

Nico’s back slid down the bookcase. That… that was  _all_? He’d known most of that stuff already from his trip inside the Gate. He just wanted to know _why_. Why did it take _all_  of Bianca and only his left leg? Why does it appear when people perform human transmutation? Why did answers avoid him every time he looked? It’s not like he was trying to bring back Bianca -- he’d learned his lesson -- so why was it so hard to find answers?

“I… could set aside the books that mention the Gate Theory for you,” Mitchell said tentatively. “You might find something I missed.”

Nico rubbed his forehead. “Yes, please. And… thank you. For everything.”

Mitchell offered a small smile. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, I--” Nico blinked and sat up straight again. “Wait, I think there _is_  something else.” He turned to Mitchell again. “Do you have anything on flame or fire alchemy?”

“Yes we do,” Mitchell said with a relaxed grin. “There several volumes of research left from a previous alchemist. Should I set those aside as well?”

Nico nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Alright,” Mitchell nodded. “I’ll leave a note with the front desk. You’ll be able to pick them up when we finish taking inventory.”

“Thank you so much,” Nico said. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

Mitchell shrugged half a shoulder and stood up, offering Nico a hand up. “It’s just my job.”

“You’re better at it than you let on.”

Mitchell accompanied Nico to the front desk, and they exchanged polite goodbyes while Lacy retrieved his watch. When Nico stepped outside, the sun was well overhead. He _really_  needed to meet Leo and Hazel soon. But this trip wasn’t exactly the pick-me-up he had expected. There should have been more information. He’d be able to help Leo with his research of fire alchemy, but the Gate was the whole reason Nico had signed up for the State Alchemist program. And he couldn’t even access the information right now. Was all of his effort wasted? Did he expose himself to all this danger, nearly get _killed_ , for ten pages of information? He wanted to collapse on the library steps, but Nico feared if he sat down he’d never get up again.

He sighed, and put one foot in front of another. He had an appointment to keep.

 

Nico called a taxi. Because as much as he loved his new leg, walking out of town was was a bit much at the moment, and he was late as it was. He kept his eyes fixed on the cars and people around them, but it didn’t look like anyone was following him this time.

The drive was forty-five minutes long, and already the mountains of the west could be seen in the rolling hills around them. Ms. Hecate’s house was on a small plateau on the side of the mountain that looked like it had been carved out long ago. The house itself was three stories high, with several add-ons that showed less wear than the original house.

After thanking and paying the driver, Nico walked up to the front door and knocked. Barking carried down from an open window above, and as one dog started, the rest of the chorus followed its lead until there was a dull roar. Before anyone actually answered the door it flew open and a large black dog tackled Nico to the ground and growled in his face. Which gave him an excellent view of its horns.

“Mrs. O’Leary, no!” a woman cried, dragging the creature off of Nico by a collar. “I’m so sorry -- I was in the middle of feeding them and she just flew out when she heard you.”

“It’s… it’s okay,” Nico said, getting to his feet without taking his eyes off the beast.

It was a chimera alright. An alchemical cross-breed with a canine base, a flat goat-like forehead with curved horns, and catlike back legs. Tip of its long tail flicked back and forth as its beady eyes fixed on Nico.

“You’re Nico, right?” the girl asked.

“Yeah,” Nico nodded.

“I’m Calypso. I’d shake your hand but, well,” she nodded toward the chimera. “Everyone else is in the back. You can head straight through the house while I lock up Mrs. O’Leary.”

“Alright; thank you.” Nico nodded to her before following her into the house.

The first thing Nico noticed was the smell. It was sickly sweet like violets mixed with rotting plums. Probably from all the plants. They were everywhere - on tables, bookshelves, window panes, and hanging from the ceiling. Some of them were flowering, and it was probably them that made the air so thick and difficult to breathe.

Nico hoped they’d be spending most of their time outdoors and with open windows, or he might pass out. He hurried to the other side of the house, but a few details caught his eye. Most of the furniture seemed older than he was, most of the books looked like hand-written journals, and Nico could have sworn he saw _two_  people in the mantelpiece mirror.

But none of that mattered once he was outside and could breathe again. He took a moment to do just that, and realized he was feeling a little light-headed. Which was odd -- he grew up in the mountains -- the air out here didn’t usually get to him.

“It’s about _time_  you got here.” Leo grinned before blocking Hazel’s punch. “We were starting to think the bears got you.”

“Concentrate,” Ms. Hecate scolded from her wicker seat on the porch. She sat alone with her ashen fingers absently playing with the ends of her scarf, leaning against the circular table where her tea sat untouched.

Leo and Hazel continued sparring, not taking their eyes off of each other. Leo was currently on the defensive, but his eyes were glinting as he looked for an opening.

“Care to sit down?” Ms. Hecate asked Nico, gesturing to the seat across from hers.

“No; thank you,” Nico said as he started stretching. “I’m a little restless from the car ride.”

“Suit yourself.” She turned her gaze back to the fight, her eyes following each of their movements. “They’re practicing focus. So they’re not to pay attention to anything that will detract their attention from their target.”

“I see,” Nico said politely. It was odd watching Leo fight someone else. They’d been exclusive training partners for so long, Nico never really considered what Leo would be like up against someone else. And… he wasn’t _good_  compared to Hazel, but he was holding his own well enough.

Nico wondered how different the battle would have been with alchemy. Has Leo gotten any better over the years, or has he thrown himself into engineering entirely? Would he even _want_  the information Nico could get on fire alchemy?

His stomach twisted. That research on flame alchemy was all Nico had left of his goal. He’d been so sure that the First Branch would have information on the Gate… to only have a few pages of information… Nico felt so _stupid_. He’d blindly thrown himself face-first into the military, and now his hands were tied. the state had their eyes on him and he’d almost been murdered and he was _inconvenient_  for his father--

The fight ended with Leo flat on his back, coughing through the dusty air. “Finally,” he sighed, pushing himself upright. “Everyone’s always taught me to keep track of everything going on. It’s not easy ignoring it all.”

“An enemy will take advantage of the slightest distraction,” Ms. Hecate said coolly.

“Yeah, but without an eye… on your back…” Leo trailed off, his face pale.

Nico followed Leo eyes to one of the third story windows, but couldn’t see anything of note. “Leo?” he said cautiously.

Leo jumped and shook his head. “Sorry -- I thought I saw… nevermind. It was probably Calypso. One too many konks to the noggin’,” he said, knocking his fist against his head. “You really pack a punch, Miss Military.”

Hazel didn’t try to hide her proud little smirk before heading over to Nico. “It’s good to see you on your feet again. How do you feel?”

“Well,” Nico couldn’t exactly say he was facing an existential crisis so he settled for, “I’m out of the hospital, so I can only go up from here.”

“How’d your trip to the library go?” Leo asked, taking a glass of water from Calypso.

The smell of violets drifted from the back door and started to make Nico feel light-headed again. He shook his head to clear it and forced himself to focus on Leo. “I found some stuff on flame alchemy, but not much on what I was looking for. The whole library’s been turned upside-down since the robbery.”

“That sucks,” Leo frowned deeply. “You… do you need any help?”

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but only sighed and sat on the porch. His joints were aching. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure what to think anymore.”

Hazel sat down beside him. “Did something happen?”

Nico glanced at her and then at the rest of their company before sighing and admitting, “ I… I met my father this morning.”

Leo gaped at him. “You found him? He’s alive?”

“Lt. Chase found him, actually,” Nico said wryly. “And yes, he’s alive.”

“You punched him in the face, right?” Leo asked.

“I might have, but he kind of outranks me,” Nico said bitterly. “Punching a Major General in the face is frowned on, even when you’re related.”

“A Major General?” Hazel repeated, dumbstruck. “Can you tell us which one or--?”

“Well _I_  don’t care if his reputation goes in the toilet -- it’s Major General Pluto.”

“Isn’t that the guy you thought was flunking you?” Leo asked.

“Yup. Apparently I’m ‘inconvenient’ for him.”

“Oh, Nico…” Hazel Hugged Nico’s shoulders tightly, and Nico found himself leaning into her touch. “I know a thing or two about deadbeat dads myself. I’ve never met mine, but it seems to me that this is the perfect time to prove him wrong. You’re a strong guy, and the State Alchemist program is lucky to have you. Make a name for yourself!”

“Yeah,” Leo added. “Even if it’s as lame as the Clapping Alchemist.”

Nico snorted and said dryly, “Thanks, guys. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably just hop around angrily,” Leo grinned, knocking his leg into Nico’s arm. “Speaking of, how’s your leg been doing?”

“Great, actually.” Nico drummed his fingers against his mechanical knee. “I haven’t quite gotten used to the weight difference, but it runs much smoother than my old leg.”

Leo’s chest puffed up with pride, and put his hands on his hips with a smirk. “You feel up for running a few tests then? You can pretend I’m your dad and beat the crap out of me in the process.”

Nico chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet. “I don’t think I’m well enough to go _that_  far, but we can certainly try.”

It was amazing how easily he fell into his usual training routine with Leo. They had practiced the same fight sequences since they trained together with Bianca and Thalia. Only now, Leo had the time to optimize the regimen for checking for faults in Nico’s automail. Leo had explained how he can check for different effects with different motions but it only vaguely made sense to Nico. Instead, he trusted that Leo would be able to spot the problems and keep Nico’s leg in top condition. Halfway through, Nico’s head started to feel light again. He couldn’t figure out what it was about this place that made him feel so _off_.

_’Oh?’_  A voice echoed in Nico’s head -- coming from everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. _’You’re back again, eh?’_

Nico broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that voice. It appeared on the worst night of his life and echoed in his nightmares for years afterward. For a brief second, the world around him flashed white, and Leo was replaced with a faceless pure-white being. It reached out to him.

_’So what are you going to sacrifice_  this time _?’_

Nico covered his mouth as his leg slipped out from under him, but it didn’t stop his scream from escaping his lips.

“Nico?” Nico heard Leo’s voice from somewhere far away as color returned to his vision. “Are you al--”

Red sparks rattled the third-floor dormer window until the glass shattered onto the roof beneath it.

“A transmutation?” Leo covered his eyes with his arm. “Is Calypso..?”

“But I’m right here,” she said from Ms. Hecate’s side.

A transmutation without an alchemist...

“I’ve seen this before,” Nico remembered suddenly. Just before Hazel saved him from Ares, Nico’s inactivated transmutation circle had burst to life with red sparks. And those sparks were the same color as the ones that had taken Nico’s leg.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t this realization that had gotten Nico moving, but the chorus of anguished chimera wails. Nico didn’t even realize he pushed himself to his feet until he was shoving open the back door and was smacked in the face with the house’s strange smell, which was suddenly ten times more potent than it had been fifteen minutes ago. Nico stumbled through his dizziness up the stairs, despite distant voices of protest, and forced the third-floor door open in time to see a single chimera escaping onto the roof. Nico might have followed it, but between the sight of twenty fresh chimera corpses and the memories of Bianca’s accident, Nico’s brain was overwhelmed.

The last thing Nico saw was the transmutation circle on the floor in front of him before passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was my favorite to write, and the only one that features both of our work woven together.


	14. XIV. Hazel + XV. Jason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Hazel go looking for the chimera that ran off, and Jason meets Thalia for the first time. Includes another random point of view shift in the middle of the chapter, but hey, that happens sometimes in this fic.

**XIV. Hazel**

Hazel ducked and covered her head as debris fell from the roof. Nico, Hecate, and Calypso already ducked straight into the house. The deafening howling died down the same moment that the transmutation stopped.

Leo’s eyes were transfixed to the third story window, pale and frowning so deeply it looked like his face would freeze that way. Then he gasped and pointed to the window,” Something’s coming out!”

Hazel jumped to her feet and spun to face the house. A black chimera the size of a large dog stumbled drunkenly over the broken glass, yelped, and fell onto the awning of the the porch breathing heavily. Hecate came to the window and called, “Don’t let it escape -- it’s the result of the transmutation just now!”

She barely got a single word out before the chimera was on its feet, jumping so powerfully between Leo and Hazel that they both fell to the ground. Leo was a split-second faster than Hazel, jumping to his feet and shouting, “I’m on it!” before tearing after the creature.

“Leo, wait!” Hazel tore into the woods after him. “That area’s dangerous!”

“ _Please_ ,” Leo called over his shoulder. “I’ve spent my whole life in the mountains! You think I can’t handle--”

At that moment, Leo plunged into the hard-to-spot wash carved out by the mountain’s rainwater. Hazel slammed her hands to the ground and caught Leo with a platform. Hazel interrupted Leo’s string of creative swears with, “Did you see which way it went?”

“Further down the wash, I think,” he said, getting to his feet. “That thing has reflexes like a cat.”

Hazel trasmuted a path down and said, “C’mon. I’ll lead this time.”

Leo frowned like Hazel had just spit in his food, but kept quiet and followed her down the path.

Unfortunately, it seems they had already lost the creature. They searched and searched -- Hazel even tried sending out an alchemical pulse, even though she knew full well that the technique only reacted to earth and metal -- but there was no sign of the chimera.

Once the sun started to set, Hazel sighed. “We should head back while it’s still light out.

Leo grunted in agreement and followed her back.

“I hope it doesn’t wander toward Central and hurt someone…”

Leo snorted. “Please. Aren’t you just worried they’ll take away your qualification if they find you your teacher was making chimeras illegally?”

Hazel dug in her heels and about-faced so quickly Leo almost ran into her. “What is your _deal_?! Ever since you showed up you’ve been nothing but bitter and rude to anyone with a uniform. You’re stressed, I get it, but that’s no reason to treat us like dirt. Believe it or not, _we’re people too_ , and it was us in the military that saved Nico’s life. You could stand to have a _little_  respect.”

Leo was quiet, hands shoved in his pockets with a bitter expression. He didn’t look like he was going to apologize any time soon. Hazel scowled at him and spat, “You’re _disgusting_ ,” before continuing back to the house.

Hazel refused to look behind her, but she could hear Leo following behind her. They traveled in silence as the forest grew dark around them. Just before the house was in view again, Leo said, “Wait.”

And for some reason, Hazel did. She turned to face him shifting awkwardly on his feet and running his hands through his hair a few times. “I’m…” he stumbled over a word, and had to start over again. “You’re right. I was out of line. I… I’m very grateful that you guys saved Nico.” He was twitching more than usual and ended up pulling a lighter and a cigarette out of his pocket. It wasn’t until it was lit and in his mouth that he started to calm down.

Hazel stared at him with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. “You _really_  have a grudge against the military, don’t you?”

Leo snorted. “Sure. Wouldn’t you if they killed your mother?”

Leo let the words sink in, and watched Hazel work through all the ugly implications.

“I.. I’m sorry,” she said finally. “But how…?”

Leo took a long drag on his cigarette and knocked off the ashes, taking care to stomp them out immediately.

“It was the Second Southern Border War. Yuflam wasn’t even close to the border -- but we had the supplies the army needed, so they set up camp and just took it. Took our crops, our livelihood, and practically got kicked out of our own homes. Piper, Nico, Bianca -- we all got used to sleeping on the floor to make room for soldiers. They were rude, too. Did whatever they wanted just ‘cause the law said they could. They weren’t even fighting, and we had to bend over backwards to make sure we had enough food. It wasn’t easy for us _before_  the war, let alone with all these people coming in and out. And, wouldn’t you know it, one of them was a smoker. Burnt down my house with my mom in it. Would’ve gotten me too, if Bianca hadn’t stopped me from going in after her.” As if to prove a point, Leo threw his cigarette to the ground and smothered it. “So, yeah, I feel like i’m a _little_  justified to be angry. The guy who did it wasn’t even punished.”

Hazel pursed her lips. “It might be justified, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out on us. Soldiers… they’re just people, Leo. some are good and some are bad.”

“But you all follow orders.” Leo laughed bitterly. “See, it doesn’t matter if one of you wants to do good. As long as someone higher up the chain is corrupt, good isn’t going to happen. And can you honestly say with a straight face that the system we have isn’t corrupt?”

“Yes,” Hazel said resolutely, her head held high.

Leo snorted and shook his head. “Let’s go back. Maybe they’ve figured out what happened with that transmutation.”

 

_XIV. Hazel (cont.)_

As soon as Hazel returns to Hecate's house and sees that Nico is unconscious, she becomes overprotective of him. She insists they leave immediately, despite the dangerous roads. This doesn't pass Leo's notice and he pokes at the subject, but Hazel refuses to rise to the bait.

Nico is conscious by the time they get to Piper's, but he feels very “lopsided” and ends up falling asleep almost instantly. Leo jokes with Piper about Nico's condition, but it's clear that he's feeling strained and worried about him too. Leo gives Hazel another quip before heading back to his hotel. Piper offers Hazel some tea, and they bond a little as Hazel calms down after the day's events.

 

_XV. Jason_

As Jason's unpacking his office the next day, he decides that he wants to talk to his father. It's outrageous that Jason found out that he found out he had an older sister from said older sister when Jason was in his twenties, and when he called Jupiter all he had to say on the matter was “Yes, you have a sister,” before abruptly hanging up. To make matters worse, that was the longest they had spoken in over a year. Sure, maybe Jason could have put up more of an effort to keep in touch, but so could have Jupiter. He hadn't even congratulated Jason on his promotion to Colonel. Not that he had when Jason became a Lieutenant Colonel, either.

Just as Jason is about to throw out the packing materials his office came in, Juno bursts in and asks how he's settling in? Does he like his new office? His new coworkers? Isn't Central just grand this time of year? Really, it's grand every time of year, so why didn't you visit more, Jason? Your father and I miss you very much. You didn't even do so much as call to say that you arrived safely in Central, we were starting to worry! Really dear, you should just come live back at home with us. I know it's a little unconventional at your age, but really, we haven't seen you in _so_  long, and it's not like we have any shortage of rooms. You wouldn't want for anything, there are no fees or bills to pay, and you could be close to family all the time! There's really no downsides, right?

Jason's stomach churns. Yeah, she was right, he probably should have called. It's not fair to do to Juno what Jupiter did to him, right? But he doesn't want to live with them anymore. He's been handing living on his own quite well in Southern Command and he's just fine with the living arrangement he has. It's nothing personal, promise, he just wants to expand his horizons and experience new things. Honest. Now if you could excuse him, he's late for a meeting.

Okay, so, the meeting was a lie. But hopefully it wouldn't be a lie for long. Because he was going to go straight to his Dad's office and confront him about all the strange--

“Do you have an appointment?” Jupiter's secretary asked.

Jason stared at them incredulously. “I'm his _son_.”

They shrugged. “Tough luck; you still need an appointment.”

Jason is seething as he leaves the area. A part of him thinks he really should have expected this, but another part of him really didn't care. It's not like Jupiter did. But before he makes it to the stairs, he literally runs into Annabeth. Both of them stumble out apologies, which is a bit odd for Annabeth. It looked like they were _both_  caught up in their own thoughts. Jason asks how Nico was doing, and Annabeth says he's out of the hospital now, but she doesn't seem very happy about it. Jason pries a little bit and Annabeth sighs and says that she just feels Nico is a bit young to be going through all the stuff that he is; no offense. Jason agrees, but it's no one's fault but Ares' that Nico was attacked. And it's all on Nico to decide where to go from there. Annabeth presses her mouth into a thin line, but doesn't say anything about the subject further. She makes a quick excuse about needing to go back to work, and Jason lets her go, but he raises an eyebrow when he realizes she's heading straight to Major General Pluto's office.

Though in the end, it's not really any of of his business. So Jason heads back to his office and finishes up his day's paperwork. The quicker he finished for the day, the quicker he would be able to meet Thalia in person for the first time. But as he's about to head out, he gets a summons to Major General Neptune's office. Jason sighs, aware that he's now going to be late to meeting Thalia, but trudges back up to the third floor anyway. Orders are orders.

Major General Neptune still knew how to fill a room with his presence. As soon as Jason entered his office, he could feel the air crackling with tension. Neptune didn't mince words – he handed Jason a single fat file on the Jackson brothers.

Neptune explains that Percy and Tyson Jackson have been a thorn in Amestris' side for over ten years. They travel and strike randomly, and despite how recognizable Tyson is with his missing eye and standing above a crowd, they're notoriously hard to catch. Now, they've been spotted in Central, and he doesn't want the pair slipping out of their grasp again. Neptune assigns Nico to Jason's team because he wants to see if Nico can work the same magic he had during the rebel attack. Jason starts to protest – Nico had only _just_  been released from the hospital – but Neptune overrules him. He does, however, let Jason pick who else to work this case with him. After remembering the stories of how well they worked together, and how diligently she stood guard outside of Nico's hospital room, Jason chooses Hazel to go with them as well.

Jason was a little uneasy about this assignment. After looking up Thalia's file, he found Percy and Tyson's names show up repeatedly. He knew that she hadn't worked with them for quite a while, but still. He couldn't ignore orders. What if Thalia was caught in the crossfire? He didn't want that to happen.

And yet, here he was. At the place he and Thalia agreed to meet. For a wanted criminal, it seemed sort of odd to Jason that they were meeting in the open-air seating area of a cafe. But he scanned the patrons anyway, trying to match her with the old picture that had been in her file.

Jason's eyes locked onto a woman who looked awfully similar to her, but – no. It couldn't be Thalia. He double checked her face against the photo. Yes, it was her. He walked over to her, and...

 

**XV. Thalia**

“Thalia?” The speaker’s voice as almost deep, with a nasal twinge.

Thalia smiled. His voice was different without the phone’s static, but it was unmistakably Jason’s. She’s memorized how he said her name. She offered her hand in the direction of his voice. “Hello, little brother.”

He took her hand. His fingers were thick and coated with callouses. “I didn’t realize you were…”

“Blind?”

“...Yeah.”

Thalia grinned. “Don’t worry; it’s never held me back before, and I’m not gonna let it get in the way now.” She patted the seat counter-clockwise from her. “Sit down.”

She heard the metal chair scrape against the store street, and the uneven chair legs clunk to the ground under his weight.

“Do you mind if I get a good look at you?” she asked.

“No,” the chair skid toward her, and rocked to the other leg as he leaned toward her.

“Honestly, my blindness has saved me more times than I can count.” She found his shoulder first. It was wide, with a lot of muscle. “Even if someone thinks they recognize me out in the open like this, they write it off and think they’ve made a mistake.”

“The army never realized you were blind?”

“I’m good at hiding it.”

Ah, there was his face. Seems like he got their dad’s strong chin, and their mother’s wide nostrils. Her thumb accidentally grazed his lips, and she felt a small indent over the upper one. She grinned. “Do you know how you got that scar?”

“No -- I’ve always sort of wondered, though.”

“You tried to eat a stapler when you were two.” She felt him grow hot under her palms. She barked a laugh. “Don’t be embarrassed -- it’s what makes you…” Her face fell, running her fingers over his brow. “...You.” She bit her lip and pulled him into a hug. “It really _is_  you, huh?”

Large arms wrapped around her, and said, “Yeah.”

Her eyes stung as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I… I thought you were dead for _so long_... Mom, she, she told me you were dead and I--” Her fist clutched the back of his shirt and she shook her head. “No, it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” he choked out, sounding about as mixed up as she felt. He was shaking.

She pulled away, and faced him the best she could. “I know we haven’t known each other long, and we’ve only just met, but I… I want you to know I still love you. If you’re ever in trouble… well, I know I’m not the easiest person to get in contact with, but I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

 

_XV. Jason (cont.)_

It was outrageous that he and Thalia had been separated for so long. Thalia thought he had been dead this whole time, and he hadn't even known she existed. What kind of parent did that to their children?

Just as Jason was about to vent his frustrations about their father, he saw someone heading straight for them. For a split second he thought it was an officer having recognized Thalia, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. It was Nico's mechanic friend – Leo? – who came right up to their table and slammed his hands down on the table and said, “Hey, Teach. Long time, no see.”

Thalia leaned back against the chair and crossed her arms before asking what Leo wanted. He said that he had a bone to pick with her, and she asks if it could wait until later. Leo is exasperated, but angrily agrees to meet up with her tomorrow. He kept trying to act vaguely threatening, but Thalia had control of the situation the whole time. Jason asked what that was all about, but Thalia just shrugged and said she didn't know.

But she did know Leo Valdez? Yes. Did that mean she knew Nico di Angelo? Thalia frowned. How did Jason know Nico? Jason covered his mouth. Did she not know... _anything_  that happened to him? To keep it simple, Jason just tells her that he's a state alchemist now. Thalia's frown deepens. Through a little more prodding from both sides, Jason learns that Thalia taught Leo, Nico, and Bianca alchemy, and Thalia learns about the human transmutation and Ares' attack. She hadn't realized Nico had been the victim. The conversation goes quiet after that, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

Jason kicks himself a bit – he shouldn't have brought up Nico. This was supposed to be a nice reunion, and he ruined it. Who knew when he was going to get the opportunity to see her again?

But then Thalia launches into a story about her travels in the Briggs Mountains, and as Jason listens to her words, he starts to calm down. For right now, everything was okay. And for now, that was enough.

 

 


	15. XVI. Leo + XVII. Hazel

_XVI. Leo_

It figures. Leo's last day in Central, and he can't even get a proper goodbye from his best friend because the _military_  decided Nico had a mission. Ah, well. It might be buttcrack early in the morning, but at least Nico stopped by. They're able to joke around a bit together, and Leo's able to ask Nico to be careful while expertly hiding his concern with proclaiming he will charging double next time something like this happens. Nico laughs, like he was supposed to, and they fistbump each other before he heads out to his mission.

At a more reasonable hour, Leo heads over to Piper's to say goodbye. Piper is in the middle of something upstairs, and Leo ends up talking to Mitchell instead. He's starting to look ragged, and the kitchen table is covered in hand-written loose papers. Leo asks what's going on, and Mitchell pinches his nose and says it's just this robbery has put everyone on edge. Leo pushes a little more, and Mitchell says he thinks that he's being considered as a suspect. Leo is confused, because he had an alibi (the dinner), and Mitchell explains that the day the book was discovered missing wasn't the same day it was stolen. Leo's eyes widen, but before he can say anything else, Piper comes down the stairs. The three of them become wrapped up in goodbyes and well-wishes. On his way out, Leo tells Mitchell, “For what it's worth, I think you're innocent.”

Before Leo actually leaves Central, he confronts Thalia. She had been their second alchemy teacher, taking them up to the mountainous forests and training them in all sorts of life skills. They looked up to her, trusted her, and yet never once told them she had performed human transmutation. That's right – Leo knew. Ever since Nico gained the ability to use clapping alchemy, they had known. Leo didn't care that she had done it – that was her own sin to bear – he cared that she didn't warn them better. They had asked her about it, but her warning was too general. If they had _known_  that it wouldn't work, how awful the price would have been, maybe they wouldn't have--

Thalia cut him off, saying that she did what she thought was best. She _did_  warn them. Maybe not as best as she could, but she tried to get the three of them to respect the flow of life and that anything less than that would result in disaster. Ultimately, it was Nico and Bianca's decision to perform the transmutation, which is why it was their sin to bear.

“Bianca is _dead!_ ”

“I'm not saying that it's fair, I'm saying that the price has been paid! And there's nothing we can do about it! You're looking for someone to blame; I get it. But in the end there isn't anyone but them. And trust me, you couldn't have talked them out of it.”

Leo licks his lips and is quiet before asking who it was she tried to bring back.

Thalia sighs and says it was her baby brother. The transmutation took her sight, and she had to discover the thing she made wasn't even human by crawling over to it and hugging it close. The ironic thing was, she recently discovered her brother wasn't even dead. Her douchebag of a father had taken him away, and she had just been _told_  he was dead. So it was futile thing to begin with.

Leo leaves Central in emotional turmoil, thinking about his conversation with Thalia and about what it must have been like for Nico, having lost both his sister and then his mother, for the second time. Then he thinks about the 1st Branch robbery and during one of his layovers he calls the mechanic shop he works at, and tells Boss Lady that he's on his way back. As the conversation continues, he hints at knowing what she did, and it's revealed that “Boss Lady” is actually Nemesis, the leader of the Rebel gang that attacked the State Alchemist Exam.

 

_XVII. Hazel_

It's Hazel's first day actually wearing her military uniform, and she goes to Jason's office with pride for her first mission. She's ready to be on her best behavior and to follow orders to the best of her ability, but is taken aback when she sees Nico in Jason's office too. It looked like he hadn't gotten his uniform yet, but there's no time to exchange pleasantries before Jason starts briefing them on the mission. As Jason explains who Percy and Tyson Jackson are, Hazel notices that Nico was looking more and more uncomfortable. He was staring resolutely at the same spot in the file they've been handed, and didn't offer any input unless specifically asked. However, he doesn't raise any objections, and before long the three of them are off looking for Percy and Tyson.

Surprisingly, it's actually Percy and Tyson who find _them_. The terrorists grab their attention, and lead them into the sewers and straight into a trap, separating Nico from her and Jason. By the time they escape, Percy has cornered Nico. But, surprisingly, neither of them have their weapons drawn.

Percy was yelling at Nico. Calling Nico a traitor for turning on him after everything Percy's done for him. Teaching him how to fight, use a sword, did that mean nothing to Nico? Had he been playing Percy this whole time? Percy had taken him in as family, and _yet_ –

Nico was obviously having trouble emotionally dealing with the accusations, and Jason looked like he was waiting to hear exactly what was going on, so Hazel ends up being the one to make the first move, cutting Percy off. Tyson blocks the blow, and Percy uses alchemy to set off a mist for him and Tyson to disappear. After quickly checking to make sure Nico is alright, the three of them end up following the sound of Percy and Tyson's footsteps to follow them.

The three of them come up on a wall of ice Percy must have made to stop them. Jason considers melting it with electricity, but that would end up blowing out the power of nearby buildings in the process. Hazel sends out an alchemical pulse and realizes there's a chamber nearby that would pass straight through to where Percy and Tyson are headed. They don't find a door, but instead a wall that was sealed with alchemy – it would be nearly impossible to know what it was without looking for it. Hazel makes a door, and they're led straight into a large room with a sphere inside. Large metal banners are bolted together and twisting in all sorts of directions. It looked like some sort of sculpture, but what was it doing all the way down here? It was at least two stories tall and it had plenty of room for things to move through it. There was something familiar about the shape, but Hazel couldn't quite place... Her eyes slid from the sphere to the cages lining the wall, empty but covered in blood. Hazel felt sick to her stomach, and quickly reminded her companions that Percy and Tyson were getting away, and they resume chase.

They get close to catching Percy and Tyson several times, but when all's said and done, they get away. Nico's forced to explain that Percy was the person he had originally learned alchemy from. He taught Nico the basics, and became a close family friend. When Nico decided to try for the State Alchemist's exam, he knew that he needed to get a lot stronger, and training with Percy seemed like the best option available to him. They traveled together between exams, Nico carefully hiding that he was actually taking the test in between. He never helped Percy with any of his schemes – most of those were accidental, anyway. Throughout the explanation, Hazel realizes Jason is being oddly quiet. And in the end it doesn't even seem like Jason's going to report him.

After Jason leaves Hazel pulls Nico aside and tells him that his past is nothing to be ashamed of, and reveals that the person she learned alchemy from also didn't have much respect for the law. She pushed Hazel into doing a lot of illegal things that Hazel wasn't proud of. But being here, on the side of the law, it was Hazel's chance to make up for all that – and Nico had that opportunity too.

As she's talking Nico up, Hazel is also convincing herself that she needs to do the right thing and report that sphere. She resolves to do it tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update was a little short! The next one makes up for it by being pretty long.


	16. XVIII. Frank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Hazel check out the odd statue in the sewers, but something goes horribly wrong.

_XVIII. Frank_

Everything about that stolen book didn't make sense, and in Frank's experience, that meant something important was just just out of reach. So when Frank went to the Führer's office to give a progress report, he asked him: what was in that book that was so important?

“The contents of the book are irrelevant, Col. Zhang. You just worry about retrieving it.”

“But if we know the contents of the book, we might be able to build a better profile for the thief and figure out their movements.”

“It is my understanding that nobody knows what the contents of the stolen book are. How am I supposed to give you information that I do not have?”

“I mean no disrespect, Sir, but I do not think you would have the entire Investigations Department put all of their projects on hold for a single document you do not know the contents of.”

The Führer's eyes narrowed dangerously. “It is the _principle_  of the matter, Col. Zhang. We cannot let this thief make a mockery of us.”

“We do not need to put my whole department on hold for a principle! What about other matters that are making a mockery of us? What about Ares? He's killed some of our finest men, and with Major di Angelo's survival we've been given the biggest lead in years!”

“Your department has had ample time to track down that killer! By now, he has probably moved on, just to thwart your efforts. The second we show weakness when it comes to our national secrets, the second other countries will be there to exploit and attack us.”

“Even when said document is just an old man's musing about the state of alchemy a hundred years ago?”

The conversation freezes. Frank hadn't meant to reveal that. The Führer's eyes looks like they're prepared to murder someone.

“And how would you know that, Col. Zhang?”

“In our investigations we've found someone who's read the book before it had been stolen.”

“And who might that be?”

“They've only agreed to help our investigation if they remain anonymous.”

“Sounds suspicious to me, Col. Zhang.”

“They check out, Sir.”

The Führer gives a slow nod before saying, “You've always been good at staying emotionally distant from your cases, Col. Zhang. It's why I put you in charge of this case. Don't make me regret that decision.”

“Yes, sir.”

Frank is dismissed, his head spinning from the meeting. He had many more questions than he did when he walked into the Führer's office. Not only was the Führer refusing to cooperate with the investigation, he was threatening Frank for becoming too “involved.” Why was this a problem if it meant Frank would get the book back? Something wasn't adding up. _What was in that book?_

When Frank returns to his office, it has gotten quite late. He sighs and gathers up his coat, but just before he's about to leave he gets a call from Hazel Levesque. She apologizes for calling so late, but wonders if they could meet? It's important. Frank says yes, of course, and before long he's meeting Hazel Levesque where she asked him to.

She apologizes for calling him out so late, but she wasn't sure who she was supposed to report what she saw to. Frank urges her to continue, but first she asks Frank how much he knows about Alchemy. Just the basics, he admits. That Alchemy was a mixture of intent and formula and circles, taking the materials it was given and transforming it into something new. Hazel nods and then asks what he knows about alchemy on living things. Frank gulps and says that human transmutation was forbidden, and experimentation with chimeras, animals spliced together, was highly regulated and dangerous. Hazel nods, and asks him to follow her.

Hazel takes him into the sewers, and then to the chamber with the sphere. Frank's jaw was slack, and he asked what he was looking at. Hazel said that she's not entirely sure, but to not touch the sphere (which Frank was more than happy to do once he saw the dried blood stains at the base of the sphere). Hazel points out the animal cages along the wall, and certain shapes within the sphere itself, and explained how many things about it resembled transmutation circles for certain chimeras. But there were other elements – and that worried Hazel. She could tell the new bits were organic in nature too, and that might mean that _people_  might have been fused with animals in here.

All this was too much for Frank to handle. Have unspeakable transmutations been going on right under Central's noses? He asked if it was even possible – this was a _sphere_ , not a circle. Alchemy was done with _circles_.

Hazel shrugged. Stranger things have happened. And what is a sphere, if not a three-dimensional circle?

Frank licked his lips and stared up at the sculpture. It might have been his imagination, but it was looking more ominous by the second. He took a breath and said that they needed more information. Could Hazel figure out what that thing was made of?

 

**XVIII. Frank**

Levesque pressed her hands to the ground, and a faint yellow spark rippled across the ground. When the light hit the sphere it crackled to life, glowing white and sending sparks all throughout the inside of the sphere. The hair on the back of Frank’s neck stood on end, and his whole body tingled from the pure energy in the room. But after being activated, the color of the sphere’s sparks deepened to a dark purple and started lashing out against the room. Frank could feel himself getting pulled toward the sphere, like it had a gravity field all of its own.

“We have to get out of here!” Major Levesque called over the roar of the transmutation. “It’s looking for biological lifeforms! We’ll get sucked in!”

So it wasn’t Frank’s imagination… Frank motioned to the door. “Fall back!”

Trying to walk away from the transmutation was worse than running through waist-deep mud. It almost felt like little arms were reaching out from the sphere and clawing at Frank’s arms and legs to pull him back. And it seemed even harder for Major Levesque. She was much smaller than Frank, and occasionally slipped backwards when she tried to take a step. The second time it happened Frank grabbed her arm so she wouldn’t fall further. She gave him a grateful look, and pushed ahead, Frank behind her just in case.

The second they were both outside the room, Hazel pressed her palms to the wall to seal the entrance. But before the door could be properly closed, her yellows sparks turned purple, and a shock blasted up into her body. She yelled in pain, and the force of her reaction pushed her back, stumbling away from the wall. Frank grabbed her before she could fall into the water (he wasn’t sure how well it mixed with alchemical sparks) and steadied her on the platform again. She was whimpering.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“M-My hands!” she stuttered, holding them up for Frank to see. They were raw-red, quickly forming long lines of blisters.

It sounded like the sphere’s reaction had finally calmed down, but there were more important things to worry about now. “We have to get you out of here before that becomes infected,” Frank said, quickly leading her toward the exit. “We’ll get you to the hospital.”

Levesque dug in her heels. “W-Wait. I don’t think we should go to Central Hospital, if we can help it.”

Frank stared at her like she had grown a second head. “What do you mean? You’re seriously injured!”

“If we go there we’ll have to report what we saw, and I’m pretty sure the military made that sphere. -- It was made of the same materials as the support beams in the Exam building. If you didn’t know about it already, it’s probably something top-secret that we shouldn’t know about, and I don’t think the higher-ups will take kindly to us finding it.”

Though Frank wasn’t sure how Levesque was thinking more clearly than he was, she had a point. The whole reason they were able to investigate this so quickly was because they hadn’t gone through protocol. Not to mention how suspiciously the Führer had been acting earlier. But Levesque _needed_  medical attention, and Frank didn’t know any doctors aside from the ones at Central Hospital.

No, wait. That was wrong. Hadn’t he just met Apollo Sol, the Magic Touch Alchemist, a couple weeks ago? Unfortunately, he already left for Yuflam… but, it made Frank think of the next best thing.

“Do you trust Nico di Angelo?” Frank asked.

Major Levesque looked taken aback by the question. “Yes?”

Frank nodded. “Right. Let’s get you out of here.”

Without worries about management to distract her, Levesque found herself in considerably more pain than she had a few minutes prior. By the time they reached Piper and Mitchell’s apartment, Levesque was hunched over and openly sobbing in Frank’s back seat. He opened the door for her and she wiped her face on her sleeve. Her normally dark hands were turning a worrying shade of yellow around the many branches of her blisters. Frank’s stomach churned, and he hoped beyond hope he had made the right call. He banged his fist against the front door.

After a moment, Mitchell answered. “Frank? What--” he gasped, seeing Major Levesque hands. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain in a bit,” Frank promised, looking over Mitchell’s shoulder for a sign of di Angelo, but only saw Piper at the kitchen table. He clicked his tongue instead of swearing. “Isn’t di Angelo here?”

“He’s downstairs,” Piper said, quickly standing. “Hang on.”

Frank escorted Hazel to the couch while Piper yelled down the stairs for di Angelo, who bolted up the stairs a few seconds later.

“What happened?” he asked, looking between Frank and Levesque.

Frank opened his mouth to speak, but Levesque beat him to it, speaking through grit teeth and gasping between sentences as her hands twitched. “I took him to that strange room with the sphere. I thought it looked like a transmutation circle to make a chimera. I used a pulse to figure out what it was made out of, but the sphere activated and nearly rebounded on us. I tried using alchemy on the other side of the wall, but the sphere’s energy traveled through that path and burned me.”

Di Angelo flinched. “Ouch. But what are you doing _here_? Shouldn’t you go see a doctor?”

"Well, that’s where you two come in,” Frank said, gesturing at Mitchell and di Angelo.

“ _What?!_ ” Nico’s voice was an octave higher than normal. “But it was Bianca who-- Just ‘cause I lived with Apollo a few years doesn’t mean I know how he did anything!”

“No, but _he_  does.” Frank pointed to Mitchell, whose face flushed red.

“Well, yes, but-- but that doesn’t mean I’m a doc--”

Piper smacked Mitchell and di Angelo upside their heads. “We’re wasting time! We all know you guys can do this -- Mitchell, do your meditation thing or whatever you do to get into the zone. Nico - go upstairs and bring down hand towels and disinfectant. When you get back, talk to Mitchell and figure out everything you need to know. Got it?”

“Got it,” they repeated, and ran off to do their respective tasks.

Frank was impressed. There were soldiers who hesitated on a general’s orders longer than they did for Piper just now. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Piper set a bowl of ice water of Levesque’s lap. “ _Boys_ ,” she rolled her eyes and turned to Levesque. “It’s gonna sting, but put your hands in here. “It’ll help with that burning-from-the-inside-out sensation.”

Levesque opened her eyes long enough to look at Piper, and slowly submerged her hands. She gasped loudly, her shoulders stiffening and her back ramrod-straight. She started to tear up again as she took several ragged breaths to relax again. She was shaking.

Piper rubbed Levesque’s arm comfortingly. “Yeah, hurts like a sunnovabitch. But you’re gonna survive this, I promise.”

“Sounds like you’re talking from experience,” Levesque choked out between clenched teeth.

“Well, yeah, but nothing like this.” Piper nodded at Levesque’s hands and thanked di Angelo for the supplies he brought. He hurried over to talk to Mitchell, and Piper prepared the disinfectant while she talked. “Leo was always the pyromaniac of our group, but that didn’t mean he was the only one dumb enough to mess with fire. When I was, like, thirteen, I was alone in the house and there was a candle in my room. Somehow, I got the brilliant idea to try burning a hole in the middle of a piece of paper.”

Frank wasn’t sure this was the time to share a personal anecdote, but Levesque seemed to be appreciating the distraction. Mitchell and di Angelo were hovering around the dining room table while Mitchell drew something -- probably the circle they were going to need.

Piper pulled one of Levesque’s hands out of the water and started applying the disinfectant as she talked, unperturbed by her patient’s gasps of pain. “So, I put the paper over the candle and it set fire _way_  faster than I thought it would. Plus, it was immediately obvious that the bowl of water I had set out was _way_  too small. I panicked and instead of, like, taking it to the bathtub in the room next to mine, I ran to the front door, burning paper in my hands, and threw it on the stone porch, stamping it out with my foot. by the time I got there though, I’d already burned my hand. I’m not sure how badly ‘cause I never got proper treatment, but I was vaguely okay by the time my dad got home -- and I just put my hand in and out of ice water for a couple of days.”

Levesque gaped at her. “You never got treatment?”

Piper smiled sheepishly. “No? but it’s all good, see?” Piper held up her hand and flexed her fingers. It looked absolutely normal aside from a few small white patches of skin on the tips of her first three fingers, and a few more obvious spots on the side of her thumb. “I recovered fully after two weeks, and I _didn’t_  burn the house down. I think that’s a major success.”

“But you _didn’t get treatment?_ ”

Piper shrugged. “Dad and I were in Central at the time - we couldn’t afford it.” She looked over her shoulder to the boys. “How’s it going? Gonna be ready any time soon?”

Di Angelo sighed. “I’m ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. How are you holding up, Hazel?”

“I’ve been better,” she hissed as Piper finished up with the disinfectant.

Nico and Mitchell gathered up the drawings they made, and brought them over to the coffee table. Piper removed the bowl of water and rolled up the second hand towel, offering it to Levesque.

“It’s gonna hurt,” Piper explained, wincing.

“I know.” Levesque sighed and let Pier help her put it in her mouth.

Levesque put her hands over the circle, and di Angelo took a deep breath before clapping his hands and activating it. Levesque’s screams were muffled by the rag, but it definitely sounded more painful than her initial injury. Piper had to restrain Hazel from flailing her arms outside of the circle. Mitchell stood behind di Angelo and yelled instructions to him, walking him through each step of the process.

According to the clock on the wall, it took all of five minutes, but it felt a lot longer. As soon as it was done, Levesque spit out the towel, slumped back into the couch, and just tried to catch her breath. Her scarred hands were twitching, and ended up putting them back into the bowl, but when Mitchell brought her a glass of water to drink, she was able to hold the cup. Di Angelo looked about as exhausted as Levesque did, and collapsed into an arm chair, rubbing his forehead. Piper rubbed his arm and congratulated him and Mitchell, who was still holding his heart.

Frank couldn’t help but stare. Sure, he had heard stories about what the Magic Touch Alchemist could do, and he saw how fast di Angelo’s injuries had healed, but it was completely different seeing it in person. And it wasn’t even Apollo himself -- he had watched di Angelo and Mitchell work together using a passing knowledge of medical alchemy and research notes several years old. The whole situation was kind of amazing.

 

Frank’s eyes locked onto Mitchell’s as soon as he realized Mitchell was staring at him. Mitchell looked at Frank, nodded over his shoulder toward the kitchen, and started to make his way there himself. Frank stood up, following him. Di Angelo’s gaze followed the both of them. Once they were a good distance away from the rest of the group Mitchell turned to face him, his palms leaning against the counter.

“What was that?” he whispered, flipping his loose hair out of his face, his red eyes narrowed and fierce.

“I’m sorry. It was an emergency.” It was the truth, but Frank couldn’t quite meet Mitchell’s eye. He had known this would push Mitchell’s comfort zone in more ways than one.

Mitchell stared at him for a solid five seconds before dropping his gaze to the floor. “I won’t say I regret what I just did but…” He licked his lips and sighed. “You’ve got to understand what a slippery slope I’m on, Frank. I don’t believe alchemy is evil, and there is a benefit in the knowledge gained through it. But… functionally, _I_  performed that transmutation just now. Where’s the line?” Mitchell looked at Frank, his shoulders slumped and bags under his eyes, and seemed truly defeated. “I thought I knew where it was, but ever since we started to work together, it’s gotten blurred and moved so many times… I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been wondering if already crossed it.”

Frank bit the inside of his lip. Things like _‘that’s not true’_  or _‘don’t say that’_ were at the tip of his tongue, but that wouldn’t change Mitchell’s feelings, only invalidate them. Instead he could only repeat himself: “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” Mitchell looked to the floor and crossed his arms tight against his chest. “It’s not just you. It’s everything that’s going on right now. I’ve messed up again and again, and it’s made me realize how far I’ve fallen. And just how quickly I could slide into a place I can’t get out of.” He chuckled bitterly. “Maybe my family was right about me.”

“No.” Frank stepped forward and gripped Mitchell’s shoulder firmly. “They were abusive. None of that was your fault, Mitchell. They messed with your head, which makes your father and brothers the _least_  qualified people to judge your character. You’re a good man. And I can’t claim to be an expert on Ishbala, but it seems to me that any god worth worshiping will value your goodness over whether or not you performed alchemy or not.”

The corner of Mitchell’s mouth twitched, the scar his father gave him marking his banishment from Ishbalan society standing out clear and white against his dark skin. He blinked away his tears and Frank stepped back to give him time to collect himself again. Everyone seemed to be giving them space, except for Nico, who was hovering near the dining table facing away from them.

Mitchell cleared his throat, and said a bit louder, “So, uh, was there a particular reason you guys came here instead of a hospital?”

“I was wondering this as well,” Nico said, walking around the table to join their conversation. His dark eyes were eying Frank critically.

Frank glanced over at the girls, but they seemed to be having an intense conversation of their own. So he kept his attention on the two in front of him, and considered them both in turn. “It was Hazel who had her reservations. I was just respecting her wishes.”

Mitchell raised his eyebrows, but a twitch in his jaw betrayed that he felt more hurt than skeptical. Frank bit the inside of his lip.

“It was the sphere, wasn’t it?” Nico said, keeping his eyes focused on Frank. “She thought it belonged to the military, and that we weren’t supposed to find it.”

Mitchell turned to di Angelo. “Your friend mentioned a sphere earlier too. What kind of sphere? Was it solid? Made of some sort of wires? She mentioned a rebound -- does that mean it’s like a 3-Dimensional transmutation circle?”

A protective string pulled in Frank’s chest. If this was as serious as his gut was telling him it was, then the less Mitchell knew the better. Plus Mitchell’s words from not five minutes ago were still fresh in Frank’s mind, _’It’s made me realize how far I’ve fallen. And just how quickly I could slide into a place I can’t get out of.’_ If Frank could help prevent that even just a little bit longer, he wanted to do it. After all, it was all the little battles that added up to the war’s eventual victory.

Frank saw Nico open his mouth to answer Mitchell’s question, but Frank held up his hand to cut him off. Frank looked straight at Mitchell when he said, “I know you’re curious, but maybe this is something that you should stay out of. If we do get in trouble, you won’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Mitchell looked like Frank had just slapped him, mouth hanging open and incredulous eyes. “But you’re the one who-- But I--” He grit his teeth and crossed his arms, glaring at the sink. He took a couple of breaths before saying, “Fine. I just thought you’d like to know that your stolen book talked about spheres too.”

Frank’s eyebrows shot into the air. “It did?”

“What did it say?”

Mitchell addressed di Angelo when he said, “It was a theory the author had for where alchemy was heading in the future. They theorized that a sphere, being in a higher dimension from a circle, would be able to perform much more powerful transmutations with better conversion efficiency. However, the author went on to dismiss the idea, saying it would be nearly impossible to calculate and then manufacture all the precise lines in structurally-sound ways able to withstand the energy it would manufacture.”

Well, obviously _someone_  managed it. Frank had seen it in action.

Di Angelo’s eyes glazed over and said slowly, “ _‘There are many impossible things in this world.’_ ”

“Apparently so,” Mitchell agreed.

“No,” Di Angelo’s eyes came into focus again, and looked at the two of them. “That’s what Major General Neptune said to Hazel and me the day of the attack. I didn’t think much of it at the time but…” he turned to face Frank directly. “Sir, I think I have some information I need to share with you.” He glanced at Mitchell briefly before adding, “Privately.”

Mitchell gave di Angelo a look that clearly read _‘Really? You too?’_  But instead of saying anything, he held up his palms and turned around so sharply his ponytail flew over his shoulders as he went to join the girls.

Di Angelo watched him go and then gestured for Frank to follow him down to the basement.

The light was already on from when di Angelo had stormed up the stairs earlier, so Frank just shut the door behind him and followed him downstairs.

Di Angelo turned to face him. “Mitchell said you might be suspecting me of working with the rebels on exam day.” Frank didn’t say anything. Nico nodded and continued, “I understand. Have you read the file Lt. Chase wrote about me?”

Frank’s throat was dry. It was still kind of hard to believe this kid performed human transmutation when he was ten years old. Then again, after seeing the transmutation just now, maybe Frank _shouldn’t_  be surprised. As evenly as possible, Frank croaked out a, “Yes.”

“Then you should understand why I can say what I’m about to without fear of legal repercussions.”

Frank frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

Nico took a moment to collect himself, and said, “You were wondering about where I was in between my failed exams? I was with Percy and Tyson Jackson.” Frank must have had a dumbfounded expression on his face because di Angelo continued with, “Yes, the so-called ‘terrorists’. They like to think of themselves more like ‘vigilantes’, though. I had connections to them because they were the teachers who first taught me and my sister alchemy. I didn’t tell them what I was training for, and they were pretty mad when we met up in the sewers yesterday.”

“Wait, wha--”

“But that doesn’t matter,” Nico barreled on. “What does is that the Jackson Brothers are well-known to oppose Nemesis’ rebel group. I’m sure there’s plenty of newspapers confirming this. Both Hazel and Colonel Grace will confirm that they heard Percy’s cries of my betrayal. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that I am involved with Nemesis’s group.”

Frank’s throat was dry. “You realize that won’t stop my investigation, right?”

“I know,” Nico nodded. “I was killing two birds with one stone. I wanted you to hear the truth from me, myself, and it was a necessary preface for what I’m going to say next.”

Frank raised his eyebrows.

Nico dropped his gaze to the ground wringing his hands for a moment before looking back up at Frank and saying, “I think Hazel’s right about the origins of the sphere. And probably about not trusting the higher ups.”

Frank frowned. That was a rather treasonous thing to say. “What makes you say that?”

“I…” Nico stared at the floor again and started pacing, the rattling of his automail leg amplified by the stone walls around them. “I’ve had my misgivings about the higher-ups since my trial. I’m pretty sure it was rigged. By all accounts, I should be in jail or dead right now. But I’m not. And then there’s that--” He froze mid-thought, staring at the wall. Thinking better of it, he started pacing again. “Nevermind. That part wasn’t relevant. But what _is_ , is a story I heard from Percy Jackson when I was traveling with him.

“Percy and Tyson are known as brothers, but they weren’t raised in the same household. In fact, Percy _found_  Tyson. When he got lost in one of Central’s research facilities. I don’t know how common knowledge this is, but Tyson is a chimera. It’s unclear whether he already had gigantism before the transmutation or if it was a result of--”

“Hold on,” Frank said, holding up his hand as his mind ran a mile a minute. “That’s not possible. It’s illegal. The military wouldn’t--”

“Lieutenant Colonel, _I’m_  illegal.”

Frank’s jaw snapped shut.

“I bring all of this up because when telling me this story of how they met, they described a sphere like we saw. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time, but when Hazel said that sphere we saw resembled a circle for creating chimeras, I remembered the story.”

Frank swallowed and said, “Couldn’t they have been lying?”

Di Angelo looked straight up into Frank’s eyes, and despite being about a foot shorter than Frank, Frank felt a little intimidated by the intensity of his eyes. “Sir, I know that you do not know Tyson Jackson, but if you did, you would know he is a person incapable of lying. I don’t expect you to take my word for it, but if you’ve ever met someone who’s been traumatized, and hear them truly speak about it, then you’d know that there is no possible way it can be faked.”

Frank bit his lip, remembering the night eight months ago when Mitchell had called him from Piper’s, explaining he had been kicked out of his house. His brothers had found him decoding a document Frank had needed for a case, and made it a big deal in front of their father. As far as they were concerned, Mitchell had been caught performing alchemy. His father struck him while wearing a ring, creating the scar on Mitchell’s face and the mark of banishment from his people. Frank hadn’t seen his face when Mitchell explained all this, but he could hear Mitchell trying his best not to break down. The worst part was that he was more worried he would get in trouble about the document he hadn’t managed to take with him instead of his personal safety.

At the time, Frank didn’t have any warning or context for why Mitchell had been kicked out. Over the several weeks following his banishment, Frank tried to both give him space, and get some answers for why it had happened in the first place. He wasn’t sure how well he managed to balance the two, but every time he did get Mitchell to open up, it was obvious how much pain he was in (and how long something like this had been coming). He’d seen how much Mitchell shook, and how hard it was just for him to speak at all.

Di Angelo was right. It couldn’t be faked.

“So, you’re saying that somewhere in the higher ranks there are less than savory things going on in the military?”

“Yes.” Di Angelo nodded.

“Why tell _me_? What are you expecting me to do?”

“Honestly? Nothing.” Di Angelo gave him a bitter smile. “This is way over your head. I didn’t tell you because I wanted you to do something -- I wanted to warn you about the potential risks if you investigated the sphere further.”

 

_XVIII. Frank (cont.)_

By the time Frank made it back to his apartment his head was spinning. Spheres? Illegal transmutations by the higher ups? What if they were looking at this robbery all wrong?

What if all of this came down to the knowledge of spheres and how to use them? Was that what the Führer wanted all along? Maybe the people Frank should really be looking into was the Führer and everyone else who was seeming abnormally interested in this strange book...

 

 


	17. XIX. Jason - XXI. Anabeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason joins Venus for tea, Percy and Tyson find an injured Chimera, and Annabeth's suspicions about Mitchell grow as she learns more about what that stolen document held.

_XIX. Jason_

While Nico and Hazel are out scouring the city for Percy and Tyson, Jason spends his time in the archival section, pulling up Percy and Tyson's file. And also di Angelo's. It was kind of hard for Jason to believe that Nico had even _more_  secrets to hide from the military. It was going to give him a headache. But at least it would give Nico additional insight into Percy and Tyson's actions.

On the way back to his office, he runs into General Venus, his old superior from Southern Command. She notes that he seems really out of it, and invites him to her office for tea. Jason knows he probably shouldn't, as he's actively on a case, but he's been feeling so disoriented and abandoned that the comfort of a familiar face with a warm personality draws him in.

Venus asks him how he's been liking Central so far. It must be like coming home, since he started out here, right? Well, no, not in Jason's eyes. He doesn't admit it out loud, but he's been feeling more uncertain than ever since coming “home,” and it's in no small part due to his relationship with his parents. It was so much easier to ignore them back in Southern Command, but now... it was hard. And it wasn't like his young age was winning him any favors with his coworkers. Rumors followed him everywhere. It made Jason feel like he could never put his guard down, and it was getting exhausting fast.

Jason gives Venus a stock answer, about how any shift in position and location will take time to acclimate to, but he's doing his best despite the circumstances. Venus laughs and calls him on his bluff, but empathizes with his situation. He's a really talented official, and it's really for others to dismiss that simply because of his bloodline. But she knows that despite his parents' influence as higher ups, he's earned the position that he's in. So he should own it like he did.

Jason feels a little validated, but he does have concerns about that. He doesn't think that Jupiter pushed him through the ranks, but Juno might have. She isn't officially part of the military, but she still holes a lot of influence as the head of the 1st Branch Library. Jason's also seen first hand how she can bully Jupiter into doing things he wouldn't normally.

Venus points out that Juno and Jupiter wouldn't be able to push Jason through the ranks on their own – and especially not unless Jason actually had the talent to back him up. He might have joined the army at a record-setting young age, but those were still years of experience under his belt getting him where he was. And now that Nico di Angelo was in their ranks, the other members of the military can't say that Jason was an isolated incident.

How was Nico, anyway? Venus heard about the Ares attack. Jason tells her that he's fine. Nico made a miraculous recovery after the attack, and is even out there right now looking for the Jackson brothers. Venus listens with rapt attention and wonders aloud how Nico managed that. Jason says it's because the doctors in Central are amazing, but it's clear Venus doesn't quite buy it. Instead of pushing the subject though, she asks more about Nico – Jason was the one who recommended him, yes? Jason admits that he was the one who recommended him, and says that he saw Nico performing some amazing alchemy back in Yuflam. It was only natural to try and recruit him. Venus then points out that Nico's quite a trouble maker isn't he? Dashing off to fight the rebels on his own, requiring a court hearing of the higher ups, getting attacked by Ares... Jason gets defensive of Nico, saying that if he were any true danger to the military, the higher ups wouldn't have taken him on as a state alchemist. He was just experiencing a string of bad luck lately. Venus says that she has no problems with Nico or the fact that he became a state alchemist, she just found him curious and wondered what Jason's opinion of him was.

The gears in Jason's brain finally start to turn and he asks her why she wanted to meet up with him anyway. Venus shrugs and says that she meant what she said back in Southern Command – they have to look after each other. Both she and Jason are rising stars, and she wants to make sure they keep soaring. Jason is a good man and she considers that far more valuable than his status as Jupiter's son. She finds those who try and cosy up to relatives of important figures in order to get power underhanded cowards, and would much rather gather those with talent and mutual ambition as her allies. Jason asks if she considered him an ally, and she responds, “Honey, that is entirely up to you.” Jason thanks her for the tea, and says he'll think her offer over.

Shortly after, he checks in with Hazel and Nico for a progress report. Neither of them had any luck finding Percy or Tyson, but Jason notices a shift in their relationship. They seem much more comfortable around each other. He also notices Hazel fidgeting with a new pair of gloves on her hands. When he asks her about them, she just says that she thought they looked cute, and not to worry, she can still perform alchemy through them. Jason thinks it's odd, but doesn't push the matter, instead moving on to explain the new information he had gathered about Percy and Tyson from the archives.

_XX. Percy_

Really, who did Nico think he was, joining the military like that? And then have the audacity to hunt THEM down?? Percy is still incredulous, annoyed, and very vocal about Nico's betrayal once he and Tyson have properly escaped into the woods in the west, but he's mostly letting off steam and is very confused. Nico used to hate the military too! And so did his friend whatshisname! The only reason Percy took in Nico again three years ago was because he looked so awful and he was completely off-balance with his Automail leg. It looked like he needed help, and at the time Percy was happy to give it. But he wasn't supposed to go and join the military after! Percy thought that Nico, of all people, would be able to understand that their army provoked more wars than they defended from, and it's always the citizens who suffer the consequences.

Percy's rant is interrupted, however, when Tyson grabs his shoulder and tells him to be quiet. They can both hear a ragged sort of breathing, and Tyson heads in that direction before Percy can stop him. They find a chimera collapsed on its side, it's whole body shuddering with each breath, and its feet bloodied. Percy starts to wonder where it came from, but Tyson picks it up off its feet and insists that they nurse it back to health. Percy tries to say that was a bad idea, but Percy could never deny his brother when he got all doe-eyed like that, so they find a good place to rest and patch up the chimera.

Tyson holds down the chimera as Percy carefully removed glass shards from the animal's paws. They were everywhere, and Percy wasn't sure he'd be able to get everything. But he did the best he could, and wrapped up the chimera's paws so it wouldn't bleed out as much. As he finished, the chimera started licking Percy's chin. Percy laughed as he was tickled, and pulled away as the chimera's ears perked up. It lapped its tongue in its mouth and looked between Tyson and Percy, sniffing the air. Pushing itself to its feet, it hobbled over to the bag where they kept their food. Percy tries to shoo it away, but Tyson happily opens the bag and starts feeding the chimera, who digs in immediately. The chimera is thrilled after one bite, looking between Tyson and Percy with its eyes shining and tongue hanging out of its mouth like this scrap of dried meat was the best thing it had ever eaten in its life. It tore into the rest immediately, and barely stopped to breathe before sniffing at the bag again, repeating the process over and over until Percy took the bag away from Tyson. They needed to have enough supplies to last them to the next town, at least. Tyson looked disappointed, but perked up when the chimera curled up on his legs.

As they're settling down for the night, Percy starts to wonder about Nico again, out loud. Did Bianca's death really change him that much? What could cause Nico to make such a 180 degree turn like this? The chimera's wet nose found the back of his hand, and Percy had to smile. It was a very intuitive chimera.

The three of them traveled together for a few hours the next day, but once they got to a main road and start toward the next town, the chimera began to panic. It whined and pawed at their legs and tried to drag them back toward Central with its teeth, and Percy had to explain that, no, they couldn't go that way. And it shouldn't either – the police would kill a chimera like it on sight, or worse. The chimera's ears flattened as it took a few steps away, and ran down the road back toward Central. Tyson tried to chase after it, but the chimera was too fast. Tyson was upset, but Percy let him cry it out and points out that the chimera would have drawn too much attention to them, anyway. In the meantime, they had to keep making their way to Rush Valley and give Nemesis and her gang a piece of their mind.

_XXI. Annabeth_

Annabeth is called to Frank's office, where he asks why she's been asking so many questions of the 1st Branch Liberian Mitchell Kadar. Annabeth wasn't quite ready to present her theory, but she doesn't have much choice but to tell Frank about her suspicions – Mitchell is the one who stole the missing document. Frank is taken aback, but asks if she has any evidence to back up her claim. Annabeth admits that she doesn't have any concrete proof, but she points out how suspicious it is that Mitchell read the document previously, and he acts suspiciously when she tries to press him about it. Frank points out that all of that is circumstantial at best, and harassing their best lead isn't going to get them anywhere. Annabeth says that with any other suspect, Frank would be encouraging her to apply pressure, this is clearly his personal bias working against him! Frank says that Mitchell might be _her_  ideal suspect, but Frank has a list of more likely suspects that he's been investigating himself. Annabeth demands he produce this list if they're so much more likely than the librarian, but Frank refuses. All of the people who are on said list are within the military, and he wants to be absolutely certain of what he's saying before anyone points fingers at someone within their ranks. Annabeth accuses Frank of hindering their investigation, and Frank points out that the Führer put _him_  in charge of this case. It's _his_  job to disclose what he thinks is appropriate to his subordinates. And the time wasn't right to disclose those names yet.

Annabeth is furious when she leaves Frank's office. How was she supposed to help with this case if Frank kept withholding evidence and suspects? It was driving Annabeth up the wall! And to make matters worse, she didn't have any other cases to distract her! Sure, she had her alliance with Pluto, but she hadn't been given any actual orders aside from keeping an eye on Nico and looking into his friends. Frank and Piper checked out, and Mitchell would have if he wasn't so suspicious in their current case. Hazel _looked_  pretty clean, but Annabeth was having trouble finding any information on her before she joined the military academy, which was starting to bug her as much as Nico's had previously. She was still waiting for Southern Command to send what they had on Leo Valdez. Now that Reyna wasn't there, she didn't have any connections to speed up the request. Her mind was a jumble of suspicions and facts and Annabeth was furious she couldn't use Reyna as a sounding board like she was used to doing. She really hated leaving Reyna in the dark but due to the nature of the investigation...

Luke, the Führer's secretary, interrupts her thoughts to say hi and ask if she was still mad at him. Annabeth crosses her arms and tells him that getting someone else to apologize for him is a coward's move, and Luke shrugs and says, “Guess that's why I'm a secretary.” He also asks if she would have listened to his apology anyway, and Annabeth concedes that, no, she probably wouldn't have. Luke invites her out for lunch, and even though Annabeth rolls her eyes, she accepts.

Annabeth asks him about what it's like as the Führer's secretary, but Luke is as evasive as ever about the topic. She's been worried about him – she's noticed a shift in Luke ever since he was promoted. He was much more secretive about every little thing, and refused to share what he was going through with anyone. Other people might not notice the extreme pressure Luke was under now, but Annabeth could see it, and she was worried. She and Luke had been friends since they were children, and he had never kept so many secrets from her before. It was actively hurting their relationship, boiling to the point where they had that argument in one of the archive rooms... the one Nico di Angelo and Hazel Levesque overheard. She didn't want to start another scene, but she was still worried about Luke, and he didn't seem like he was going to help her stop worrying about her any time soon.

Instead, Annabeth decides to use Luke as her sounding board for this missing document case. He didn't have anything to do with it, so she tells him what was going on in the investigation, and vents a little bit about her frustration about a certain librarian who was _obviously_ suspicious but her superior refused to actually consider a suspect. Luke was a good listener, and Annabeth felt much better about everything. Luke says he was happy to help, and Annabeth has to cut their lunch short because a meeting to get to.

Of course, the meeting is with Pluto to report the status of Nico's friends. Pluto raises an eyebrow at the lack of information for Hazel and Leo, but Annabeth points out that the entire investigations department has been caught up in the 1st Branch robbery. It was impossible for Pluto to have not heard about the robbery, but this was very much not his department so he has not been given details. What exactly was stolen? Annabeth tells him about the leather-bound book by Olympa Maximus, but only gets as far as the author's name before Pluto goes livid. It was the first time that Annabeth had ever seen genuine fear on his face. He accidentally lets slip that the document should have been destroyed _years_ ago before demanding all the information that Annabeth has on the case. He is particularly intrigued by the fact that the book was discovered missing when Ethan Nakamura requested the book on behalf of the Führer.

The more Annabeth explains the thinner Pluto's mouth becomes and Annabeth was getting no satisfaction from doing so. In fact, she was feeling more and more unnerved. What was in this document that was so important that _Pluto_  loses his nerve and the Führer demands the robbery become the head case of the investigations department? As Annabeth finishes, Pluto nods and immediately tasks her with retrieval and destruction of the document.

Deciding to push her luck, Annabeth asks what exactly was in the book that warranted the reaction everyone was giving it. Obviously Pluto knew what was inside. He considers her question, and without giving specifics, says that the contents were enough to start wars over. Wars had _already_  been fought over it. And depending on how the information inside was used, it could be more powerful than any weapon ever seen in the history of their country.

Annabeth gulps and agrees that if what Pluto says is true, then retrieval and destruction of the document is the best course of action. Pluto says that he has resources of his own that will let him pull information, and promises to contact her with additional information to help her search. Annabeth leaves his office with her head spinning more than it had been all day.


	18. XXII. Nico

**XXII. Nico**

Nico wasn't even sure what he was doing still on the team hunting for Percy and Tyson. He was pretty sure this was.... what was it called... “conflict of interest?” There was a very strong part of him that didn't want them to get caught, after all. It was probably affecting his ability to catch them. But, once again, Col. Jason Grace was saving him from trouble by not reporting him. Hazel too. He hoped they wouldn't get in too much trouble because of him, but he was grateful. He was tired of constantly being scrutinized by the higher ups. At the same time, that meant he was stuck on this case until they either found the Jackson brothers, or the pair turned up somewhere else. Nico hoped for the latter.

He watched Hazel send out yet another alchemical pulse, looking for any clues that might tell them where Percy and Tyson might be. He didn't think it would do any good seeing as both Percy and Tyson managed to keep all their limbs in all their years of vigilantism, but it was better than wandering around the entirety of Central City hoping to spot them in a crowd.

“No good,” Hazel sighed, standing and straightening her back. “You're absolutely sure they don't have any distinctive metal on them?”

“No; I haven't seen them in a year,” Nico stared across the street and rubbed his thumb over the front of his pocket watch again. “But they've never had anything or told me about anything like that when I was traveling with them.”

“Great.” Hazel leaned against a building and crossed her arms. “Our first mission and it's finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Can you trace for anything other than metals?” Nico asked, leaning against the wall next to her.

“If it's found in the ground and not alive, I can find it with my gauntlets,” Hazel said, holding one of them up. “But the only reason I can trace far away at all is _because_  it only looks for stuff in or touching the ground. I couldn't find, say, a dog. Because the transmutation isn't looking to use that kind of material.”

“Ah. Alright then.” Nico had thought that if she had a similar ability that might be able to pick up beings that had been fused together she might have been able to track Tyson Jackson, since he was a chimera.

“Why? Did you have an idea?”

“Sort of,” Nico shrugged. “But it wouldn't have worked anyway.” Speaking of chimeras... “Hey,” Nico turned to Hazel. “Did you guys ever find the chimera that broke out of your teacher's house?”

“Ah; no. I mean, not that I know of.” Hazel fiddled with the seam of her gloves. “We were assigned to this case pretty quickly after that. Hecate and Calypso might have found it by now, though.”

Nico hummed in the back of his throat, and ran his thumb along the steel chain he's been wearing as a belt since he's been attacked by Ares. “I'm a little confused about that day, actually. What happened after I passed out?”

“Nothing, really,” Hazel tried to say as casually as possible, but her jaw looked stiff. “Your friend and I looked for the chimera for a while, came back, and took you back home.”

“See, that's the part I don't get.” Nico turned so his shoulder pressed into the wall and he could look at Hazel head-on. “I know most people don't grow up in a clinic, but I haven't met anyone who didn't know to leave a fainted person lying down until they've fully recovered. I had barely regained consciousness when you were rushing me out of the house.”

“Yes, well, like you said – not everyone grows up in a clinic!” Hazel was looking away from him and her voice was oddly stiff and squeaked at the end.

“But it doesn't make sense, Hazel,” Nico said as soothingly as he could. “I was safe there. I was in a house, I was lying down, and I was surrounded by competent alchemists to guard me. Why move me? Unless... there was some sort of reason you didn't trust Ms. Hecate?”

Hazel bit the corner of her lip. “It's... it's mostly irrational, really.”

“Really?” Nico asked, eyebrows raised. “Leo said you shouted, _'Get away from him!'_  when you saw her tending to me.”

“Look,” Hazel leaned close to him and dropped her voice. “I traveled a long time with Hecate. She's been experimenting with chimeras for as long as I've known her. It... unnerves me a little. It sounds like it's really painful for the animals involved, and that's made me a little jumpy around her. That's all.”

“Are you sure that's really all?” Nico asked. It was time to find out if she was playing dumb or if she genuinely didn't know.

“Yes, of course,” Hazel assured him.

Nico sighed and gripped the chain around his waist. “Hazel... I _saw_  the transmutation circles on the floor and walls of the chimera room. There was an element to trap human souls.”

“She _what?!_ ” Hazel squeaked loud enough for people across the street to turn and stare. She grabbed Nico's wrist and dragged him to a secluded alley before turning to him and hissing, “What do you _mean_  there was an element to trap human souls?!”

“I mean exactly what I said,” Nico said, yanking his arm out of her grip. “I got a good look at the circle on the floor before I passed out. It definitely included elements to bind human souls.”

“No... I mean...” Hazel gripped the roots of her kinky curls. “Master Hecate is a bit sadistic, sure, but _human souls?_ No, no, she'd never go that far. Never.” Then she rounded on him, demanding, “And how would you know what those 'elements' look like, anyway?!”

Nico flinched and gripped his belt, and this time Hazel noticed. She squared her shoulders, her hand hovering uncomfortably close to where she kept her gun. Nico swallowed, and slowly raised his hands.

“Hazel, look at me,” Nico pleaded. “Look into my eyes.” Hazel's gold eyes met with Nico's dark ones. “I'm going to tell you something important. But before I do, let's both calm down, okay? I promise you we're both on the same team.”

Hazel licked her lips and slowly, stiffly, she relaxed her arm. Nico lowered his own arms just as slowly, until they were hanging by his sides like they usually were. Hazel eyed him suspiciously, looking between him and his hands.

Nico swallowed, kind of feeling like he was on trial again. He just had to remember that he walked into it willingly this time. Hazel had to know. Nico gripped his arm and looked straight into Hazel's eyes as he said, “The reason I know what binding elements for human souls looks like is because I performed human transmutation.”

Whatever Hazel was expecting him to say, it clearly wasn't that. Her whole body went slack, and wore a dumbfounded expression on her face. She blinked a couple of times before slowly saying, “What...?”

“When I was ten, my sister and I tried to revive our dead mother,” Nico said. His stomach squirmed, but he kept his eyes locked with Hazel's. “The transmutation killed my sister and took my leg. So please believe me when I say that I _know_  about transmutation circles that deal with human souls.”

Hazel covered her mouth. She tried to say something a couple of times, but fell silent until she finally choked out, “And your Mom...?”

Nico grimaced. “Dead. Again. That thing we made collapsed in on itself and died before I even woke up in the clinic.”

“I... I'm sorry.”

“That... that's not the point here.” Nico sighed and pushed his bangs out of his face. “Look, Hazel, I _know_  what I saw before I passed out at Ms. Hecate's. Are you _sure_  there isn't a deeper meaning to your fear of her?”

“Truly, I've only seen her work on chimeras outside of my earth-based alchemy training,” Hazel said, gripping her arm. “There were a number of them that were illegal, but I really don't think... she...” Hazel paled and covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”

Nico took a step forward. “What?”

Hazel looked to him, her eyes wide, and said, “There were so many times when someone got close to discovering our secret and they just... disappeared. Master Hecate would send me away on an errand and when I got back she would tell me that she worked everything out with them. I always thought she was bribing them, but what if-- can she _do_ that?!”

“Turn people into chimeras?” Nico supplied. “Put their soul into a chimera? Yes. Definitely.”

Hazel stared at him in slack-jawed horror. “But... all those people--” Hazel froze, staring straight through Nico. “Calypso.”

“What?”

“Calypso is still with her,” Hazel said, her eyes locking onto Nico's. “She's in danger!”

Nico frowned. “Do you really think Hecate would hurt her?”

“Can we really afford to take that chance?!” Hazel grabbed his shoulders. “We have to warn her!”

Though Nico was worried that they might be rushing into things, he agreed that it was probably a good idea to tell Calypso, and there was certainly no stopping Hazel. They dropped their official mission, and headed straight for Hecate's house, formulating a plan of action as they went.

But that plan went right out the window once they actually arrived.

Walking right up to the front door, Nico knocked. Silence. He and Hazel exchanged an uneasy glance before Nico banged on the front door. Still nothing, and when they checked, the door was locked. Nico could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Hazel gestured for them to go around the back, and Nico nodded in confirmation.

As they rounded the corner, Hazel drew in a quick breath. Shards of wood that used to be the back door were strewn out across the lawn, the hinges and handle lying with the debris. Some were covered in blood. Exchanging another look, Hazel pulled out her gun and crept to the gaping doorway as Nico pulled on his own pair of gloves. He clapped as quietly as he could, grabbing his belt to make a dagger. He winced at how loud the transmutation crackled in the silence, but at least now he was armed.

Hazel went in first, gun at the ready but not aimed at anything. As Nico entered, he's thankful that the sickly sweet smell has dissipated since the last time he was here, but it was replaced with something much more revolting. Drips of blood stained the floors, as well as a number of deep scratches.

“Nico...?”

Pushing through his light-headed queasiness, Nico covered his nose and joined Hazel in the living room. It was pretty clear why her gun had dropped to her side.

A corpse laid in the pool of its own blood, absolutely torn to shreds. It might have been difficult for someone else to have identified her, but it was hard to mistake that ashen skin. Hazel's reaction was all the confirmation that Nico needed. A large chunk of Ms. Hecate's neck had been ripped off, and most of her internal organs were missing. What few remained were on display, both in her gaping stomach wound and tugged out of her body onto the floor. It looked like something large with very sharp teeth and claws had _eaten_  her.

Nico covered his mouth and forced down the bile threatening to come up his throat. He shoved down all the unpleasant memories that came with it, too. There would be time for that later. Hazel was still staring transfixed at the scene, her golden eyes watering. She jumped when Nico put a hand on her shoulder, and her gun clattered to the floor.

“Why don't you check out back,” Nico said softly. “There might be signs telling where... whatever did this went. I'll check upstairs.”

Hazel didn't need telling twice. She grabbed her gun, and fled the house.

Truth be told, Nico wanted to go with her. He felt sick in this house even _without_  a dead body in the living room. But Nico had seen worse monsters in his life, and he didn't want to force Hazel to see someone close to her like that for longer than she absolutely had to. And _someone_ needed to check for Calypso. So he carefully maneuvered around the scene, clutching his knife, and tried to not disturb anything as he climbed the stairs.

It looked like there was quite a struggle before Hecate's eventual death. Things were smashed and broken all the way from the chimera room to the body. As far as Nico could tell, one of her creations just wasn't as tame as she thought it would be after creating it. It killed her, and ran into the forest. Nico checked all the other rooms, calling Calypso's name, but no one answered, and they were all empty, save for some animals that were probably going to be used in an experiment Hecate would never get to. With a sigh, Nico returned his knife into a chain belt and wrapped it around his waist. As he was passing the chimera room, Nico's eyes fell to the transmutation circle on the floor. He had been _certain_  there had been an element to trap souls the last time he was here. But now, it was nowhere to be found. Had he just imagined it? Or had Hecate just needed a different circle for the transmutation she performed?

He shook his head. That didn't matter now. Nico's head was throbbing, and he would really rather not think about anything more than he had to. It was time to report this to someone, and let actual investigators do their jobs.

After making the call, Nico stepped outside and joined Hazel on the porch. She was clutching her arms close to her, and staring out into the forest with a blank expression.

“I reported what happened,” Nico said, sitting next to her and dangling his feet off the edge. “The authorities are on their way.”

She nodded absently. “I heard you.” She pointed out into the forest. “I followed the trail as far as I could, but it ended abruptly.”

“Don't worry,” Nico said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sure the investigation department will figure out how to get that thing.”

Hazel hiccuped and nodded, ducking her head out of sight. “So.. no sign of Calypso?”

Nico grimaced. “None.”

Hazel's nails dug into the sleeves of her uniform as she let out an uneasy laugh. “I don't know whether to be relieved or even more worried. The chimera that did this... it's loose. Maybe it's tracking her down right now.”

“And maybe she wasn't even here,” Nico said, leaning against her so their arms touched. “Didn't you say she worked at a store in Central?”

Hazel sniffed and nodded to the ground, gulping down her sobs.

“...We're going to be okay,” Nico assured her, quietly. “So... it's okay to cry. She was an important person to you.”

Hazel looked up at him with a tear-stained face before letting out a cry of anguish and sobbing into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, and tried to be every bit the supporting friend he needed when his sister died.

 

_XXII. Nico (cont.)_

Jason comes with the investigation team, and they explain to him what they found and what they think happened. Jason asks why they were there to begin with, and Nico said that Hecate's house would have been a good base to use to check the forest for Percy and Tyson. They often camped out instead of using hotels, after all. Jason buys it, and tells them that as soon as the investigators say they can go home, they can. Percy and Tyson have been spotted twice in towns southwest of Central – outside their jurisdiction. Once they write up a report and send it to Southern Command, it wouldn't be their problem anymore.

Normally Nico would have been relieved by this turn of events, but it was hard to feel anything but sympathy for Hazel. No one should have to see someone they love like that.

He should know. The thing he and Bianca created didn't look much prettier.

Nico stayed with Hazel until they got to the military dorms. She thanked him for staying with her like that, and not reporting her. There was a part of her that was glad she didn't have to worry about her teacher hurting anyone anymore, but she didn't deserve to go like _that_. Hazel was worried about Calypso too. Nico assured her that Investigative Branch of the military was good at what they did. They'd find Calypso – hopefully safe and sound.

 

At this point Nico was ready to collapse on his bed and do his best to sleep off this horrible day, despite the nightmares that were sure to come, but the car in front of Piper's house said that probably wasn't going to be possible.

Sure enough, Nico walks into a shouting match as soon as he opens the door. Mitchell was cowering in an armchair as Lt. Annabeth Chase yelled that he he HAD to be the thief, so he might as well just tell him where the book was, because if he didn't a lot of people would end up getting hurt! Honestly, Nico could have seen Annabeth trying to physically threaten Mitchell, if Piper weren't standing in the way, shouting right back at her that the more time Annabeth spends here harassing Mitchell, the more time she wastes finding the ACTUAL threat, so why doesn't she just get out of here and do her job!!

Nico slams his hands together and uses alchemy to make a deafening sound. Once everyone's quiet, he demands to know what's going on.

Annabeth speaks first, trying to impress on him how dangerous the stolen document was, and how suspicious Mitchell was, but Nico cuts her off and claims that Mitchell has his full trust, and did _not_  steal the book. Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Nico held up his hand and said that he was _not_  in the mood to deal with this right now – and orders her to leave. Before she could say anything, Nico pulled out his watch and reminded her that she was in _his_  home, and _he_  outranked her. Get out.

Annabeth is _steaming_  as she leaves, glaring at Mitchell, and promises that she'll prove that he did it if it's the last thing that she did. Nico briefly wondered if that's how pathetic he looked when Pluto kicked him out of his office, but quickly shoved that thought aside. Mitchell was seriously unnerved by what Annabeth said, and nothing Piper was saying helped. Mitchell ends up gathering everything he's written about the stolen book and heading for the 1st Branch Library to work alone.

Piper is still pissed about Annabeth, but Nico just tuned her out as he stormed over to the basement. He has his hand on the doorknob when Piper's tone sobers and says she's really worried that Annabeth is going to get Mitchell convicted of a crime he isn't guilty of. Nico was worried too, to be honest, but he decides that it's a worry for another day. He tells Piper that he doesn't want any supper before heading downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one of my favorites to write. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next week's update is gonna come with a pretty important Author's Note, so be sure to look out for that!


	19. XXII. Act 1 Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Despite the title of this chapter including the word "Finale," this was never intended to be the ending of the fic. Unfortunately, this IS the last bit of chronological story that we have written out in any significant detail. We had plans for Act II and the ending, but they weren't nearly as polished. (And honestly we were lucky to have written as much as we had.) 
> 
> HOWEVER! **There are still at least three more full-length chapters after this one!**
> 
> Originally, we planned for the following chapters to be posted as one long Intermission chapter as a breather between the two halves of this fanfiction, but due to length, time, and content, we've decided to spread them out for easy reading. So, while not chronologically following the established plot of this fic, the next several chapters were supposed to be posted next anyway.
> 
> After the intermission, the quality and depth you're used to in this fic will taper out as originally promised. As we stated in the beginning, this is an unfinished and unpolished piece of fanfiction, and it will be continue to be unfinished. 
> 
> We'll keep you informed about what we'll be doing as we move forward, as I don't think it's either of our intentions to keep the questions we raised in the fic unanswered simply because we stopped writing the fic! But as of now we still need to talk over our options.
> 
> Enjoy the end of Act I! <3

_XXII. ACT 1 FINALE pt. 1 – Annabeth_

Annabeth returns to her office in the Investigations Department still frustrated about Nico pulling rank on her and interrupting her investigation. Wasn't he supposed to be on some important anti-terrorism mission with Jason? Between this and the robbery and keeping Nico safe and Luke's emotional distance Annabeth was sick of people fighting her at every turn, and of not having anyone to vent her frustrations on anyone. So when Jason calls her, Annabeth hijacks the conversation, turning it around on him – demanding to know why his subordinate was hindering her investigation. Jason is alarmed at the accusation, and asks Annabeth to tell him what happened. And once he listens he sighs, sounding very tired and tells her that she should cut Nico some slack; he found a dead body today, and it was pretty gruesome. Annabeth is taken aback and asks to be filled in.

Once Annabeth's caught up, Jason admits the reason he's calling her is because he – and a lot of other people too – have been noticing that Annabeth has been acting oddly lately. Is she alright? Annabeth isn't sure how to answer that, especially since Jason might be a leak to Gen. Jupiter, so she uses Frank's entrance as an excuse to hang up on Jason.

Frank looks just as tired as she feels as he plops down in his chair and pinches the bridge of his nose. He pulls out a pad of paper and starts writing things down. Annabeth tentatively gives him a greeting, and he returns it, though he doesn't seem to have the energy to add a smile. Annabeth asks what happened, and Frank tells her that it looks like there's a pretty sizable chimera on the loose, and that it's already claimed a life, with another possible witness missing. They're going to have to alert the public if they can't find it quickly. And because of that stupid stolen book, he isn't allowed to assign the usual number of men to a case this important. Again, he wondered what was in it that required this much attention.

Annabeth cautiously proposes that whatever's inside must be very dangerous. Frank says that's probably true, but it contradicts what Mitchell says he read. Annabeth points out that, yes, _exactly_ , it contracts what he SAYS he read. Even if you believe he's telling the truth, there's always the possibility he was just flat-out wrong. He could have decoded the document wrong, or not far enough.

Frank tries to stick up for Mitchell, but sighs and admits she's probably right. He just hates being so left in the dark about this – how were they supposed to know what they were looking for without any information? What sort of weapon had fallen into enemy hands?

Annabeth bites her lip and asks if they could learn anything from the context the original text provided? Frank dismisses the idea because the first layer is just a code to deter readers. Annabeth is frustrated that her suggestion was shut down – this isn't exactly her area of expertise, so what was he expecting from her?! – and says that she's going to question some of the other librarians in the 1st Branch.

Frank points out that the library is closed this time of night, but Annabeth counters that there will at least be guards there, and it's worth checking out. Frank doesn't have the energy to argue her about it.

Just as Annabeth is about to shut the door to the office, she hears a phone ring. Frank answers it, and Annabeth realizes it's Jason calling her back, and Frank told him where she was going. She rolls her eyes and heads out the front of the building.

Before she can get to her own car, one pulls up in front of her. She's tense until she realizes it's Mjr. Gen. Pluto behind the wheel, who then offers a ride. Annabeth is a little dumbfounded, and ignoring the fact she normally would have jumped on the opportunity, turns him down. She had a plan to go to the 1st Branch, and she doesn't want to be interrupted! But, no, Pluto says, “I insist,” with a scary expression and opens the door for her to get in. Confused, she accepts.

Pluto takes them on the scenic route and asks for a progress report. Annabeth tells him how she was trying to follow her best leads on the book, but she keeps getting blocked by people with emotional biases, including Nico. And speaking of Nico, another oddity popped up around him today. While he and Hazel were tracking down Percy and Tyson Jackson, they found the dead body of Hazel's alchemy teacher, apparently taken down by one of her own chimeras. One of the teacher's other students was missing, too. Annabeth doesn't know if it has any significance, but she figured that if Ares was an assassin, then she couldn't rule this out as another manifestation of Pluto's blood feud. Pluto is quiet on the matter.

After digesting the information Annabeth gave him, Pluto tells her that his own investigation has turned up the rebel Nemesis and their gang as the most likely suspect in stealing the book. According to his sources, she's in the Southern region at the moment. Though she usually travels around, her sightings have been the most frequent in Rush Valley. Annabeth will go there to find her incognito. Annabeth has no idea how she'll be able to manage that, but Pluto tells her that she's clever, and she can figure out how to move the pieces on the board to her advantage.

After driving for a while longer they arrive at the 1st Branch Library with a fury of vehicles outside, including an ambulance. Annabeth stumbles out of the car, dumbfounded, and Pluto drives off without a word.

 

**XXXIII. ACT 1 FINALE pt. 2 – Mitchell**

Mitchell rubbed his forehead and tapped his nib pen against the blank paper. He was so tired.

_‘Remember… Remember…!’_

There was no way he decoded everything in that stolen book. He had to remember what it actually said and start from scratch, but his brain wasn’t cooperating despite how important it was. All he got was a massive headache. He wanted to sleep.

Instead, he sat up and stretched over the back of his chair. He sighed after his spine cracked, and as he opened his eyes, he saw the intruder.

Mitchell was halfway out of his chair when the rope tightened around his neck. He was able to wedge his hand between the rope and his windpipe, but the intruder crossed their arms as they tugged the rope -- creating enough pressure that Mitchell’s hand would make no difference. Both his head and his fingers were screaming for oxygen. But even as Mitchell struggled for breath, none came. He flailed his free arm about until his fingers brushed something that rolled. His fingers tightened around the nib pen, and he stabbed it in the attacker’s arm.

Mitchell gasped, coughed, and stumbled as stars danced in his vision. He needed to do something… What did his training tell him to do? The pen slipped out of his loose fingers and clanked to the floor. Mitchell glanced at the noise and spotted the knife in the masked man’s hand out of the corner of his eye.

Mitchell’s legs finally pushed forward, and he ran. His shoulders knocked into a bookshelf, but he didn’t stop. Footsteps echoed behind him. He needed to get out of there. He needed help.

And just at that moment, the alarm came into view. Mitchell took a moment to thank Ishbala before pulling the lever and letting the deafening siren wail through the building. Mitchell heard someone swearing nearby. Success.

Mitchell ran before his position could be compromised. He had one advantage over this guy -- Mitchell knew the layout of the library. It was easy for guests to get lost, but Mitchell knew how to get the guy on a wild goose chase, while still heading toward the only exit.

But when he got there, a locked metal grate stood in his way. It was standard procedure, sure, but there were no signs of picking the lock or forced entry. How did the intruder get in? Mitchell fumbled with the keys at his waist, but it was too late. Someone grabbed his hair and slammed his face into the metal grate before pulling back and forcing Mitchell to the floor.

“You couldn’t have just gone quietly, could you?”  The man spat. Something about his voice sounded familiar… “You just _had_  to pull the alarm.” He raised his knife. “You’d better pray to your god, Kadar.”

Mitchell blinked. “Octavian?”

_Boom!_

An explosion filled the circular reading room with dust. The air crackled with electricity and alchemical reaction sparks. The transmutation short-circuited the alarm system -- now silent.

“What’s the situation?”

Mitchell could have sung -- Jason Grace, a state alchemist, was here to save him. Ishbala was definitely smiling on him tonight. With a newfound strength, he kicked Octavian in the ankle. He didn’t fall, but he stumbled enough to give Mitchell an opening to scramble to his feet and pound his fists on the metal grate.

“Over here!” he called hoarsely. “It’s a librarian! He’s--”

A strong blow hit Mitchell’s lower back. He gasped, flailing his arm behind him, and miraculously his elbow connected with Octavian’s face. Both of them stumbled away from the gate, Mitchell’s steps feeling a little clumsy.

“Stand back,” Jason warned as he reached the top of the steps. He covered his gold watch with his gloved hand, and a show of sparks filled the air, destroying the metal grate between them.

Before Mitchell could run to safety, Octavian grabbed him and pressed a wet knife to his neck.

“Don’t move or I’ll kill him,” Octavian threatened.

Jason slowly raised his hands in surrender. Octavian marched Mitchell forward as a human meat shield. Somewhere, Mitchell could hear water dripping. As Octavian reached the stairs he shoved Mitchell into Jason and took off in a sprint.

“Sergeant Major!” Jason called out, propping Mitchell up and holding his lower back. For some reason Mitchell was having trouble standing on his own. There was a gunshot at some point. Footsteps echoed up the stairs and Jason said to someone else, “Call an ambulance -- he’s bleeding badly!”

 

_XXII. ACT 1 FINALE pt. 3 – Frank_

After Annabeth leaves, Frank sorts flips through the write-up Mitchell gave him about the book. What was so special about it? Was it really so dangerous? This text was just talking about the laws of alchemy... Did that really help anyone? Could it be the context that Annabeth was talking about earlier? Alchemists loved to hide truths within truths, so what if there was a fundamental truth about alchemy that hadn't been discovered yet? Or a theory that's so catastrophic that it has the top officials sweating bullets?

Would would the Führer do with information like that? It was Ethan Nakamura, on orders from the Führer, who found that the document was missing. And it was the Führer who made this such a high priority. He was the one who got upset when Frank asked what was in the document, to the point he'd be willing to hinder the investigation to keep Frank in the dark.

That wasn't normal behavior.

And then there was that strange sphere Hazel had discovered. She said it was military-made. And Mitchell said the stolen book talked about spheres too. Frank wasn't an alchemist by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew how important form was to the success of alchemy. An alchemical _sphere_... he couldn't even imagine the amount of precision that would need to go into constructing something like that. And yet, he and Hazel saw it with their own eyes. It _worked_. Could the secrets behind the spheres be what this book was all about...? If so, why was one already constructed under the city? What did it even do? These were becoming increasingly pressing questions, and Frank was starting to dread the answer.

A knock on the door. It opened before Frank could say, “Come in,” and as soon as he saw who it was, his blood ran cold.

Ares had a gun trained on him. It was impossible for Frank to mistake the face that had been staring up at him ever since the man attacked Nico. Frank raised his arms and tried to stand, but Ares met his motion with a bullet in Frank's right shoulder. Frank collapsed on the ground. How did Ares get in? Why weren't people coming from the sound of the gunshot?

Ares took his time walking over to and around Frank's desk for another clean shot. He even gloated a little – saying that he got “the big one” while his “friend” gets the shrimp. Frank panics thinking he means Annabeth, who only left his office a few minutes ago. Frank grabs one of the concealed knives on his person with his good hand, so when Ares tries to step on him, Frank is able to stab him in the leg. Ares cries out, and Frank is able to knock Ares' feet out from under him. Now that they're on the same level, Frank is able to pull out another knife and throw himself into Ares, stabbing him in the heart with the weight of his body behind him. But Ares was too quick for him, and was able to get a fatal shot in as well.

Both died in the struggle.

They were not found until the next morning.


	20. Intermission 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gives Nico his first artificial limb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's winter holidays have been going well!

******Yuflam - 1945 - a few weeks after the transmutation**

Nico had that look in his eyes again. The look that said he was the most miserable person in the world. Leo wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but it certainly felt like it sometimes. Like the nights Nico would spend crying that neither of them talked about. The nights he had nightmares were harder to ignore, because he kept falling out of bed and needed Leo to help him back in, but they didn’t talk about those either.

They really hadn’t done much talking at all since the accident, and it was really weirding Leo out. Leo hadn’t been this bad when his mother had died, had he? He clutched the prosthetic he made to his chest, and took a deep breath. Then he charged forward before he could think better of it again.

“Nico!” Leo grinned, holding up the make-shift leg proudly. “Come try  _ this _  on for size!”

Nico looked up from his wheelchair and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “Leo, what is that?”

“Your new leg!” Leo strutted over to his friend. “You didn’t think you’d never be able to walk again, did you? Who do you think I am?” Leo set the artificial leg next to the real one and double-checked the measurements. It was pretty darn good for eye-balling it.

“When did you… I mean how…”

“Relax, it’s not like this is automail. It’s just a hair better than a peg leg so you can get on your feet again while I figure out how to do the real stuff.”

Leo kneeled down and slipped the suction sleeve over Nico’s stump of a leg. He was happy to see it was snug enough for a test walk. He pat Nico’s makeshift knee and said, “There you go! Now, if you--” A drop of water landed on Leo’s hand. He stared at it, and then up at Nico when he sniffed. Tears were streaming down Nico’s face, and his shoulders were shaking. “H-Hey! What’s wrong?” Leo stuttered, panicking. “Is it too tight? Let me go get my--”

As Leo stood, Nico grabbed the hem of Leo’s shirt. “No -- it’s fine. More than fine, I --  _ gods _ , Leo!” Nico tugged on Leo’s shirt and used it to pull himself upright for the first time in weeks. Their eyes were level again. Nico choked out a quick, hysteric laugh. “I… I’m standing up.”

“Of course you are,” Leo grinned, ribbing him. “That teacher of ours would skin us both if she found out I let you slack on your training for so long.”

Nico chuckled. “Yeah, you’re--” Nico shifted his weight onto the prosthetic, and the sleeve shifted.

“Nico!” Leo grabbed him, and they both tumbled to the ground. Leo pushed himself upright. “Nico, I’m  _ so _  sorry! Next time, I’ll--”

Nico burst out laughing. A deep laugh, from his stomach. He had to roll onto his back to breathe better. Leo couldn’t figure out what there was to laugh about, but it was a beautiful laugh all the same.

Nico grinned up at him. “I think it’s too loose.”

Leo raised his eyebrows, but couldn’t help but grin back. “Oh, you think?”

“Yeah.” Nico giggled, and took a deep breath. He pushed himself upright and sat eye-level with Leo, smiling just as happily as he used to. “Thank you for this,” he patted the prosthetic. “It really means a lot.”

Leo’s face felt hot as he snatched back the leg. “You dummy, don’t thank me for a faulty model!”

Nico laughed and jokingly punched Leo in the shoulder. “No,  _ dummy _ , I was thanking you for your effort. I know I haven’t been the easiest to be around lately--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Leo said, waving it off quickly. “Let’s just get you on your feet ASAP, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Nico smirked.

“Good!” Leo huffed as he set the leg aside. “Now let’s get you over to a chair so I can take proper measurements this time.”

Nico hooked his left arm around Leo’s neck. “Why didn’t you do that the first time around?”

“It was just a prototype model.” Leo pulled the two of them to their feet and helped Nico hobble toward the couch. “And I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Nico snorted. “You moron.” He knocked his hip into Leo’s legs.

Leo stumbled, but caught them before they fell. “Hey, do you  _ want _  me to drop you?”

Nico smirked. “You don’t have the guts.”

But yes, Leo  _ did _  have the guts, and he laughed as Nico flailed his arms and fell to the floor.

Nico grinned up at him. “You jerk!” He kicked Leo just above the ankle.

“You challenged!” Leo said, shrugging.

“Too bad you can’t get away from me!” Nico swiveled around on the floor and squeezed his arms around Leo’s leg.

“Hey!” Leo took several very labored steps. “Let go, you leech!”

“Never!”

“In that case…” Leo sat on Nico’s back.

Nico flailed his legs. “That’s not fair!”

“What’s that thing the Teach always said?” Leo asked rhetorically. “ _ ‘Love, War, and Life is never fair?’ _   ”

“Oh, come on!”  Nico pounded awkwardly on Leo’s calf.

The door leading into Tío Apollo’s clinic opened, and both the boys shut up immediately.

“Keep it down back here, or I won’t get any more customers.” His words were scolding, but his tone joked. His eyes shifted from looking at the boys to the discarded prosthetic on the floor. “What’s this?” he asked as he made his way over to it.

“Just what it looks like,” Leo said.

“Can you get off me now?” Nico asked.

“Ah- sorry.” Leo moved.

While Nico found his sitting balance, Tío Apollo inspected the leg, feeling the sleeve and testing the joints. He looked at Leo, “Did you make this? Design and all?”

“Of course!” Leo grinned.

Tío whistled. “It’s pretty impressive. The ankle joint is a bit wobbly, and the sleeve could be be made with stronger materials, but  _ amazing _  for your first try. Tío looked straight at Leo. “Do you want to make automail in the future?”

“Duh!” Leo rolled his eyes. “How  _ else _  is this loser going to get around?” 

Nico elbowed him.

“Are you sure?” Apollo grinned slyly. “Automail isn’t just working with machines. It’s learning about people, interacting with them, and knowing how the body works. Are you sure you’re up for all of that?” 

Leo puffed up his chest. “Totally! Best automail mechanic in the world, right here!”

“Is that so?” Apollo grinned, pride swelling in his chest. “Well then, we’d better find you a proper teacher.”

Leo stared at him. “Wait… for real?”

“Yeah. You obviously have a gift for it. I have a friend that works as an automail mechanic a few towns over. I’ll give him a call and see if he can’t show you the basics.”

Leo’s grin was so wide he was afraid it would split his cheeks.

“In the meantime, I have anatomy books where you can learn how the muscles and nerves work.”

Leo groaned, his high already fading. “But those books are so  _ complicated _ ...”

“I’ll help you,” Nico smiled at him. “Bianca… well, she was the one that studied this stuff, obviously, but she made sure to teach me the basics for…. Yeah. she made sure to teach me the basics.”

“And you have me too,” Apollo said, handing Leo the prosthetic. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Leo swallowed. He couldn’t believe how far they were bending out of their way to support him. His eyes were starting to sting, but he quickly blinked the tears away as he put the prosthetic in his lap. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Thank you. Both of you.”


	21. Intermission 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo watches as Nico gets automail surgery. 
> 
> Warning: there's a brief gory description, but it isn't longer than a paragraph.

“Are you ready for this?” Leo asked, wringing his hands. “Because it’s okay if you’re not, y’know. There’s always stuff to tweak and--”

“Leo,” Nico grabbed Leo’s wrist. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stand on my own two feet sooner than later.”

“Y-Yeah. Right. Okay.” Leo nodded, moving behind Nico’s wheelchair. He adjusted his grip on the handles three times before actually pushing Nico into the operating area. Tío was still chatting up Dr. Halvorson, and the two of them laughed easily together. They were all business as soon as they saw Nico, though. Dr. Halvorson started to talk to Nico about the procedure and what was gonna happen, but Leo had trouble paying attention to the speech. He was nervous.

Okay, ‘ _nervous_ ’ was a bit of an understatement. Leo could have done five laps around the block and still had energy to spare. What if something went wrong during the surgery? What if he made the automail wrong? What if after the surgery’s all done and Nico starts going to rehab and it turns out the leg won’t move at all? Leo was finding it really hard to swallow the lump in his throat, and spaced out during the entire debriefing.

Leo jumped when something touched his shoulder, and sighed when he realized it was only Apollo.

“Why don’t we wait outside?” Tío asked.

Leo shook his head. “I can handle it.”

Which was true. Leo had successfully sat through two other automail surgeries. He was starting to understand the process. Tío didn’t look convinced, though.

“Leo, can you help me strap him down?”

“Sure thing, Dr. Halvorson.” Leo hurried to Nico’s bedside and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he restrained Nico’s remaining limbs.

The worst part about automail surgery was that the patient had to be fully conscious during the procedure. Since they were working with nerves, everything was very painful and very delicate. Open communication with the patient was vital for this process, because there were too many ways to mess it up.

Leo gulped as Dr. Halvorson gave Nico a mouth guard to bite into. Truth be told, Leo was glad he wasn’t allowed to do the surgeries yet. He was bound to mess them up. Machines he could fix, no problem, but people weren’t so easy. Leo stepped back until he could feel Tío Apollo’s hand on his shoulder again. He refused to admit it, but he was kind of glad Tío was there with him.

Dr. Halvorson cut into Nico’s leg. It was easy to see him brace, but he relaxed soon after the incision. Apparently getting your leg cut open for an operation wasn’t so bad.

Then he hit the first nerve. Nico gasped, and ground his teeth into the mouth guard. His breaths were short and shallow, and Dr. Halvorson reminded him to breathe as deeply as possible. Nico was trying, but it was hard to concentrate under that much pain. It wasn’t long until Nico was flat-out screaming, tugging against the restraints. Tears streamed down his face, and he gasped for breath at the slightest lull in the operation.

Here, the blood loss was contained and minimal, but Leo suddenly remembered a time where it wasn’t. where red mixed with navy blue and dripped to the floor. Nico’s face had a ghostly tint, and men kept talking over Leo’s panicked shouts. Nico’s limp form on a table before screaming his lungs out -- Tío on his leg, and the soldier holding down his shoulders. And then Bianca was dead and there was an abomination in their basement and if only Leo had _seen the signs_ \--

Nico was screaming. Longer and harder than when Tío patched him up. Leo was suddenly very aware that those were Nico’s exposed nerves that Dr. Halvorson was messing with, and if he messed up just a little Nico would never be able to use automail ever and maybe if Leo wasn’t such a screwup he wouldn’t even need automail in the first place.

Tío’s hand felt heavy and solemn on Leo’s shoulder like they were already mourning him and it was all Leo’s fault and, wow, it was hard to breathe in here. Leo gripped the corner of Apollo’s shirt and tried to ignore how much he was trembling.

Tío Apollo leaned on his cane down to Leo’s level and asked, “Do you need to go outside?”

“M’good,” Leo mumbled, swallowing. If he left, he wouldn’t be able to get back in.

Finally, the screaming stopped. Dr. Halvorsen was done exposing and collecting the nerves -- he now had to start attaching the metal base. As the doctor repositioned his materials, Nico was catching his breath. He was covered in sweat, and the look he gave Leo looked almost delirious. Leo tried to smile and give him an encouraging nod. It must have registered in some part of Nico’s brain, because he nodded back before staring vacantly at the ceiling.

This time, Nico’s screams were mixed with power tools. It sounded so foreign -- two sounds that were never supposed to go together. A screw flowed through metal easily -- each object being made for the other. A screw into wood drilled through the grain, and the sound vibrated through his ears like a woodpecker with a microphone. Flesh ripped and tore and squished out of the way. The squelshing mixed with Nico’s screams and the cracks of a transmutation and rubber soles squeaking through pools of blood and suddenly Leo realized he was going to throw up, and if he stayed where he was he might infect Nico’s leg.

So he ran.

After a long while, Apollo joined him outside. Leo was still trying to catch his breath and keep his lunch down. Thankfully, Tío was doing that thing where he seemed to know exactly what Leo was going through and instead of teasing him or saying anything he just limped over to Leo’s side and plopped down on the steps with his cane to help. At first they just sat there together, breathing slowing into synchronicity, but eventually Tío raised his hand and tentatively put it on Leo’s back. When Leo didn’t push him away, he started rubbing in circles.

Leo licked his lips. It didn’t help his dry mouth any, but he tried. He bent his head over between his knees and hooked his hands behind his neck. He wished he had a project to tinker with, but he thought that he was going to be able to watch the surgery all the way through, so like a moron he left his tools at home. His legs bounced in their absence.

God, he was a terrible friend. He really should be in there providing support to Nico. Or Tío should be, at least. Now that they had both left, neither would be able to return, and it was all Leo’s fault.

It was Leo’s fault Nico was here in the first place. If only he could have realized what he and Bianca had been doing earlier, maybe--

“Leo?” Leo jumped when Tío Apollo’s voice came a lot closer than expected. “Talk to me.”

Leo sniffed and hugged his arms close. “About what?”

“How you’re feeling. Your latest project. Anything. What are you planning to do after this?”

“Eat some icecream,” Leo chuckled. “As a celebration when Nico wakes up.”

“Ah, yes, good choice,” Apollo nodded sagely. “I know I’m looking forward to seeing your handsome mug around the house more often.” He ruffled Leo’s hair.

“This handsome mug requires daily donuts as payment for sticking around.”

“Ah,” Tío winced. “Fresh out of donuts. But we do have broccoli.”

“Yuck.” Leo said, knocking off Tío’s hand. “Deal’s off.”

“Rats,” Tío Apollo snapped his fingers. “Foiled again.”

Leo chuckled, knocking his fingers against his knees like they were drums. But with every new hit, the silence between them grew and the heaviness of his thoughts pressed on his shoulders like he was holding up the sky. Leo bit the corner of his lip and tried to keep a straight face. Tío Apollo was already trying so hard to cheer him up -- he didn’t need to know that Leo was so messed up that it only took a few seconds for him to fall right back where he was before.

“It’s okay that you left.”

“Huh?” Leo stared at him.

“There’s nothing wrong with knowing your limits and honoring them. The sooner you do that, the quicker someone else can step in who knows better than you.”

“But you’re out _here_.” Leo said, anger swelling in his chest while his eyes started to burn. “And now he’s in there all alone!”

Tío put his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Nico will be alright. Dr. Halvorson knows what he’s doing. But you’re my son too, and despite my typically aloof exterior I do worry about you from time to time.”

“Well, maybe if you spent a little more time worrying about _Nico,_  he wouldn’t  _need_  surgery and Bianca would still be alive!”

Leo hadn’t meant it. Tío was always able to brush Leo’s insults off with a shrug. He hadn’t meant for him to recoil like he’d been slapped. Tío’s easy smile was nowhere to be found, and his laugh lines only made him look old. He turned away from Leo, gripping his cane tightly.

Leo’s heart pounded in his throat. “W-Wait, I didn’t mean--”

“It’s alright,” Tío Apollo sighed, pressing his forehead against his cane. “You’re not wrong.”

Leo’s mouth opened and shut, but it was like his brain short circuited. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to make this better? His chest felt tight, and the longer the silence lasted the harder it was to break.

In fact, it lasted until Dr. Halverson came out to get them. He needed help getting Nico back into his wheelchair. Leo ran to his friend’s side, but Nico had either passed out or went straight to sleep. He was drenched in sweat and blood, but a solid metal plate was attached to the base of his stump and hanging from that was the automail leg that _Leo_  helped make.

Pride swelled in Leo’s chest. Despite everything, the procedure had been a success.

Soon, Nico would be able to stand on his own two feet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Hope the coming year treats you all well. /o/


	22. Intermission 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico tells Leo a very important fact.

**Yuflam - 1942**

When someone knocked on his door, Leo didn’t even recognize the sound. Nobody really felt the  _ need _  to knock on the house side of Tío’sclinic. At first that had bothered him, but now he knew it as the norm. By the third set of knocks, Leo pushed his goggles to his forehead and opened the door.

It was Nico.

Leo frowned. “What’re you knocking for? It’s your room too.”

“I know,” he said, fidgeting with his hands. “I just… I heard you working and didn’t want to interrupt.”

Leo snorted. “Since when did anyone care about that? It’s always ‘Leo, come set the table’ or ‘Leo, let’s go to town’ or ‘Leo, you’re stinking up the whole house! Go take a shower!’ “

Nico chuckled, but kept wringing his hands. “Y-Yeah, I guess so... sorry.”

“It’s nothing to apologize for, just get your boney butt in here!” Leo yanked on Nico’s collar and he stumbled forward, the automail leg Leo made catching and holding Nico beautifully. Leo shut the door behind him. “So, what do you want?”

“Want?” Nico repeated dumbly.

“Uh, yeah,” Leo sat down at his desk again, facing Nico and propping his arms on the table. “You didn’t go through all that fanfare without something to say, right?”

“I, uh, yeah.” Nico grabbed the hem of his shirt and started wringing that too. “I… I need to… N-No, I w- _ want  _ to… t-tell you something…”

Leo chuckled uncomfortably, his heel tapping the floor. “What? Is this about you liking guys? ‘Cause your crush on Percy was, like,  _ really _  obvious--”

Nico’s face went beet red. “Wh-What?”

“It’s cool, man, it’s cool. I sometimes swing that way myself.”

“What? I, um.” He screwed his eyes shut and tugged at his shirt, his hair, and anything else within reach before opening his eyes again and saying, “I mean, thank you. For telling me. A-And being okay with it. But…”

“But what?” Leo nervously drummed his fingers against his knees. “Spit it out, man!”

Nico’s face was purple, mouth opening and closing. He swallowed, raised his shoulders, and shouted, “I want to be a State Alchemist!”

Both of them fell silent, neither willing to move. Mice scurried in the walls. Apollo laughed with someone downstairs. Someone breathed raggedly. After a moment he realized it was himself -- Nico had been holding his breath waiting for Leo to respond.

“Hah.” Leo forced out an uneasy laugh. “Good one. Y-you’re joking, right? I mean, you can’t be  _ that _  stupid, right?”

Nico paled.

So did Leo. “W-What? Are you saying you’re serious about this? After all they’ve  _ done _ ?!”

“I know!” Nico said, stepping forward. “I know they’re horrible, awful jerks. But they have  _ information _ , Leo. They might know the secret to fire alchemy--”

Leo banged his fist on the table. “I don’t want to learn anything they have to offer!”

“Well  _ I _  do!” Nico grit his teeth and gripped the hem of his shirt. “I… I saw something. When Bianca died. A large, white gate, and something claiming to be a god. But it wasn’t heaven. It…” He shivered. “I want to know what it was. I want to know why it took Bianca. I’m not going to find answers here.”

Leo licked his dry lips, trembling as he asked, “And what will you do when they call you to war?”

Nico stared at the floor. “I’ll fight.”

Leo glared at him, his eyes stinging. “No. You’ll die.”

“Leo, I’m not--”

“Yes you will!” Leo’s stool toppled to the ground as he stood. “You’re gonna die just like dad did and just like your dad did!”

“My dad didn’t--”

“Then where is he?!” Leo grabbed Nico’s shirt. “He was a State Alchemist, wasn’t he?! Are you really going to be like  _ him _ ?! Who abandoned his family without a single letter?!”

“No!” Nico grabbed Leo’s wrists. “Leo,  _ please _ \--”

Leo shoved him to the ground. “I didn’t give you a new leg for  _ this _ !”

He slammed the door behind him as he ran out, desperately trying to forget Nico’s horrified expression. Leo’s head and emotions were tugging him in every direction. How dare Nico even  _ think _  of joining the army! After the the army took over their town, their homes. After killing Leo’s mom… The military was evil! And Nico knew it! And yet...

Leo screamed. Tears stung his eyes as he grabbed a loose tree branch from the ground and mercilessly beat the tree it came from. It felt like Leo’s reality was crashing down around him.

“Hey, you brat! Cut that out!”

Leo fled, taking the stick with him just in case the neighbor couldn’t try beating  _ him _  with it. He ran and ran until he was in town, panting and short of breath. Blood was rushing through his ears, but his head wasn’t any clearer. Why? Why did Nico want to do something so  _ stupid _ ? Why couldn’t he see it wouldn’t be worth it? It was so obvious to Leo…

He put one foot in front of the other, dragging his makeshift bat along the ground as he walked. Maybe if he just kept walking he’d make it to a place that actually made sense.

If only Piper were here. She always understood when people were too confusing.  _ She _  could explain everything to him. His feet stopped in front of a phone booth and he was halfway through dialing her number before he realized that’s what he was doing.

“McLean residence, Piper speaking.”

“Piper,” Leo’s voice squeaked. He cleared his throat. “Piper. It’s Leo.”

“Hey,” she said cheerfully. “What’s up?”

How could Leo possibly explain his situation? “Nico’s being an idiot.”

“What did he do this time?” she teased.

“He wants to become a State Alchemist.”

“Oh.” Her tone sobered. “He finally told you?”

Leo felt like he’d been slapped. “What do you mean ‘finally’? You  _ knew _ ?!”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “He’s been talking it over with me for months.”

Leo’s legs shook. How could everybody be so stupid? He leaned on the glass, the only question coming to his lips being, “Why?”

“Because he wanted to be sure.”

Leo slid down to his knees. Was he in some sort of bizarre dream?

“Leo?”

“Yeah?” He had to stretch his chin up to speak into the receiver.

“Support him.”

“Are you crazy?! He’s going to get himself killed!”

“Yeah, maybe, but how much  _ more _  likely is it for him to die without you there to catch him? You’re the only family he has left! If he loses you too, the next time he falls, he might not get back up.”

Leo grit his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. Piper was supposed to clear his head, not muddy it up even more. “Thanks for nothing, Piper.”

“Leo, wai--” He hung up the receiver.

He left his stick at the phone booth, and let his legs go on autopilot. His head pounded behind his right eye, and his steps staggered. He wanted to stop thinking for a while -- work on a project, maybe. But he couldn’t go back. He couldn’t face Nico. So he kept walking. He walked and walked until his legs ached and kept going. Before he knew it, he was in front of his mother’s grave. Leo’s legs gave out and he collapsed, not even trying to get back up again.

“Mamá...” Leo clutched his chest and choked out a sob.

Nico  _ knew _  it had been a soldier’s cigarette that started the fire that killed Leo’s mom. And yet he still…

Leo missed his mother. Right about now, she’d scoop Leo into her arms, stroke his hair, and start singing in her native language. 

At least… he thought she would. He’s almost completely forgotten what she looked like. Everything they had burned in that fire -- not even a picture survived. Esperanza would always be his Mamá, but when he thought ‘mom’ he thought of Mrs. di Angelo, Bianca, or even Piper before he thought of his own mother. And that scared him. Especially now that he was imagining Nico as the soldier that killed her.

Leo pulled his legs up to his chest. He couldn’t stand the idea of losing Nico, but it seemed like he would either way. Nico was the only family he had left, too. Of his original family, anyway. Nico was too important to be a soldier.

He heard uneven footsteps behind him. For a second he thought it was Nico, but the gait was too large for Nico’s short legs. Leo stayed where he was and two feet came into view with a cane. Tío Apollo grunted as he lowered himself to the ground. He crossed his legs and set his cane to the side.

They stayed there quietly for what seemed like a long time. When Leo couldn’t stand the silence anymore, he muttered, “Do I have to go back?”

“Only when you’re ready.”

Leo bit the inside of his lip. “Nico wants to be a State Alchemist.”

“I know.”

“Geez,” Leo pushed himself upright and wiped the water off of his face. “Why am I the last to know about this?”

“Because you’re the most important.”

Leo forced a chuckle. “Yeah, right. Shouldn’t that make me the first to know?”

“He was scared.” Tío ruffled Leo’s hair. “You’re a pretty scary kid when you’re angry. Can you really blame him for putting it off?”

Normally Leo might have pushed away Tio’s hand, but he was too exhausted. He leaned into the touch instead, letting his head and shoulder rest against Apollo’s. “I don’t want him to go.”

Tio’s hand moved from Leo’s head to his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “Me either.”

“Then tell him he can’t. Make him stay.”

Apollo chuckled. “You know as well as I do that wouldn’t work. Nico’s a resourceful boy. He and Bianca managed to build a theory for human transmutation and execute it without either of us knowing a thing. Trying to keep him here would only make him resent us. He’d run away and do it anyway. With that’s soldier’s recommendation, he could. The fact he’s telling us at all is a sign of trust. He wants us around this time.”

Leo rocked against Apollo, and they started swaying together. He knew Apollo was right. He just didn’t want to believe it. Didn’t want to say anything. He was too scared.

Tio filled the silence instead. “It’s hard when someone you love decides to do something you don’t like. when Artemis and I returned from Xing, she got it in her head that she wanted to go on a journey of self-discovery through the Briggs mountains. I was against it of course, but my sister was more stubborn than both of you boys combined, so she just left in the middle of the night. Didn’t even say goodbye. I looked for her, but she was a hunter. She knew how to cover her tracks.”

Leo glanced up. Tio’s face glowed orange in the setting sun, but his eyes were covered in the shadow of his brow.

“What happened next?”

Apollo jerked out of his thoughts and smiled sadly at Leo. “She’d send a letter every few months saying she was okay, but they became less and less frequent until she stopped writing altogether. The next time I saw her in person was at her funeral.”

Leo’s stomach churned. He didn’t want that to happen to him and Nico.

“Then what…” Leo swallowed, looking at the ground. “What should I do?”

“I can’t tell you that any more than I can tell Nico. but I suggest you treat him like the same friend you’ve always had. You don’t have to like his decision, but it is  _ his _  decision to make. He won’t change his mind unless he wants to.”

Leo licked his lips. “...I told him I regretted giving him his leg.”

“I know,” Apollo nodded. “It took me an hour to calm him down after your little fight.”

Leo flinched. “Sorry.”

“ _ I _  don’t need an apology.”

Leo squirmed, bringing his knees up to his chest again. “...I still kind of feel that way. If I took the leg back, he’d be forced to stay here.”

“Would that make you happy?”

Leo buried his face in his knees and sighed heavily. “No.”

Apollo rubbed Leo’s back. “When you’re a doctor -- and an automail mechanic, I suppose -- people trust their lives in your hands. They may be good people or bad people, but in the end it’s your decision to treat them or not. And once you do, it’s up to them to do what they want with their life. A man might come to you for a new arm, and then go use it to go on a murdering spree he wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. That  isn’t your fault -- you were just doing your job. We can’t control people or what they do with their new bodies. The sooner you realize this and accept it, the happier you’ll be as a mechanic. Do you understand?”

Leo’s head was swimming, but he choked out a “Yeah.”

“Good. Are you ready to go back?”

“...I think so.”

Leo was quiet the whole way home. He was thankful for Tío’s limp, because it meant they had to walk slowly. It gave Leo plenty of time to sort out all of his thoughts.

Nico was waiting for them on the front steps. As soon as he heard them approaching he jumped to his feet and ran toward them. “Leo!”

Without missing a beat, Leo pulled back his arm and punched Nico in the face.

“Leo!” Apollo scolded.

Leo ducked under Apollo’s hand and elbowed him in the stomach. Leo ran toward Nico, aiming for another blow, but Nico blocked him.

“Leo, I--”

Leo kicked Nico’s leg out of his stance, and shoved him while he was off balance, tumbling them both to the ground. Leo pinned all of Nico’s limbs with his own.

“There! I win!” Leo proclaimed. “A scrawny little twelve year old beat your ass, Nico!”

Nico stared up at him incredulously.

“If you’re gonna be a soldier,” Leo continued. “You’ve gotta be strong. They’re not gonna go easy on you just ‘cause you’re a kid! So you gotta be the best! That way, when you come back, you’re alive. And how the hell do you expect to do that when you get beat up by a snotty twelve year old?!”

Nico’s jaw was slack, and he just stared at him in disbelief. Then he started laughing. All the tension drained from Nico’s body, and after gasping for breath several times he grinned and said, “Yeah, I see your point. I’m gonna have to get a lot stronger.”

“Damn straight.” Leo got off of him and offered Nico a hand up.

Nico took it and said, “Does this mean you want a rematch?”

“Nope; you lost your chance for the day. I already won. No do-overs.”

“Oh, come on.” Nico whacked his arm.

“Nope nope nope.” As they headed into the house, Leo glanced over his shoulder at Apollo and was relieved to see him smiling. It was a smirk proclaiming Leo a little shit, but it was a smile all the same. Leo stuck his tongue out at him and went inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it you guys! This is the last regular content that we have for you. The next update will a very sparse summary of Act II (at least compared to the previous summaries), which might not be much better than a list of plot points.
> 
> I (aseies) and Himaryan both have other projects in our lives, and don't have the focus and energy to continue this fic any further than we have so far. However, I hope that you've enjoyed the ride anyway! If you want to ask me any additional questions about the fic, you can leave a comment or send and ask to [my tumblr](unprofessionalamber.tumblr.com), and I'll be happy to answer them for you!
> 
> Thank all of you for your time and interest -- it's been great!


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